SWAT Kats: The Radical Beginning
by Bill Hiers
Summary: My attempt at a series prequel in screenplay format , set prior to the flashback in The Wrath of Dark Kat, in which Chance and Jake are still members of the Enforcers, and have to stop a power-mad villain from what else? taking over Megakat City.
1. Chapter 1

THE WAY WE WAS

A script by Kooshmeister (Bill Hiers)

Based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera and Christian and Yvon Tremblay.

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ACT I

EXT. MEGAKAT CITY - NIGHT

Establishing Shot of the city skyline. A roadsign reads "WELCOME TO MEGAKAT CITY."

EXT. MEGAKAT CITY - PLAYGROUND - NIGHT

A deserted children's playground in the dead of night. Some ENFORCER SEDANS sit parked in a semicircle; a few ENFORCER COMMANDOS are standing around, looking like they're gearing up for some heavy-duty action.

Amongst them is OFFICER CHANCE FURLONG, a burly but likable enough sort. He currently holds the floor. Beside him is OFFICER JAKE CLAWSON. Jake is smaller and thinner than Chance, but every bit as capable of handling himself in a fight.

CHANCE All right guys, the situation is this. According to intel, Reno and his gang are holed up inside that warehouse.

He points across the playground to a large warehouse, half-hidden by a hedgerow.

CHANCE Now since we're dealin' with a buncha punks who jack cars from old ladies for a livin', I'd say we shouldn't have too much to worry about.

Jake interjects.

JAKE Just the same, we proceed with extreme caution. Got that?

The assembled commandos nod.

CHANCE Roger. Let's lock and load boys. Deploy, and--

He stops himself short as another Enforcer sedan drives up. It skids noisily to a halt alongside. Out it steps LIEUTENANT ULYSSES FERAL, he of enormous stature and presence. Slamming his door, he tromps over. Chance and Jake salute.

JAKE Lieutenant.

FERAL Men, I've just received orders from the Lieutenant Commander that we are to stand down in this operation.

Chance and Jake blink and look at each other. The commandos murmur amongst themselves.

JAKE Why? We've got Reno and his boys cold!

CHANCE Yeah, those guys Jablonsky and Lyman nabbed earlier spilled everything! Even said Reno masterminded the gold theft!

Feral sighs.

FERAL Orders are orders. You stand down until further notice. Understood?

CHANCE (glowering)  
Yeah, yeah...

FERAL What was that?

CHANCE I said yes sir, Lieutenant.

Feral smirks and nods.

FERAL That's what I thought.

EXT. CRUMMY STREET - NIGHT

Pull in on a derelict-looking garage.

INT. GARAGE

A chopshop. Various MECHANICS are going about stripping down STOLEN CARS for parts, overseen by the leaders of the car theft ring, RENO and his right-hand man TADDEO. The latter looks nervous and looks at his watch.

TADDEO When are they gettin' here?

RENO They'll get here when they get here. Relax.

Taddeo nods but looks nervous over at a parked ARMORED CAR that says "MEGAKAT MINT" on the side. There is suddenly a horn heard honking outside. Taddeo jumps but Reno calmly goes and presses a button on the wall, causing the big double doors to slide open.

A large BLACK LUXURY SEDAN pulls in followed by a SILVER SUV. Both vehicles stop in the middle of the garage and Reno closes the doors again.

From out of the black sedan steps an imposing figure. He is over seven feet tall, a grey cat dressed entirely in black with a hooded cloaked obscuring his face. A large metallic pauldron emblazoned with a stylized "D" sits on his shoulder and is connected to his cloak's clasp with a length of chain. He is THE DARK KAT.

He smiles and approaches Reno and Taddeo. The other mechanics go about their business.

The doors of the SUV open and three other cats get out: TODFELD, who has yellow fur and tousled black hair; a tall thug named LEONARD; and a sunglasses-wearing thug named ALBERT. All three are wearing business suits and ties, and carry briefcases.

DARK KAT How did it go?

RENO Piece of cake.

TADDEO Truck was right where you said it'd be.

DARK KAT Anyone get hurt...?

Reno and Taddeo look at one another, as though puzzled by this question.

TADDEO No.

DARK KAT Excellent! I don't like seeing people unnecessarily injured.

He steps towards the armored car; the two mechanics step in his path.

RENO Ain't your truck man, 'till we get our money.

Dark Kat looks upset.

DARK KAT I just want to look in the back. Surely that is free if charge.

They look at one another, then finally Reno turns and opens the back of the armored car, revealing several creates labeled "PROPERTY OF MEGAKAT MINT." Dark Kat can barely contain his excitement and pumps his fists.

BALCUS Yes!

Reno clams the back doors shut on purpose and turns and smirks at Dark Kat.

RENO Awrighty, you seen the cargo. How's about we get our money, now?

Dark Kat turns and smiles to Todfeld and the other two.

DARK KAT Pay them, would you, gentlemen?

The thugs all grin and carry their briefcases to a nearby workbench where they plunk them down. Unsuspecting, Reno and Taddeo walk over. The thugs then open the briefcases revealing laser tommyguns - these look like normal tommyguns but fire lasers. At this, the two carjackers leap back in surprise.

TADDEO Hey, now, wait a second--!!!

RENO Yeah, you said--!!!

DARK KAT I said "unnecessarily." Unfortunately for you, it is entirely necessary.

Todfeld points his gun at Taddeo and shoots him through the torso. Reno turns and tries to run, but Albert fires after him, hitting him in the back, and he falls.

EXT. PLAYGROUND - NIGHT

CHANCE, JAKE and the COMMANDOS perk up as they hear MUFFLED GUNFIRE from nearby. FERAL, already getting back into his car, stops short and turns, surprised.

FERAL Gunshots!

CHANCE Comin' from the warehouse!

He draws his sidearm and charges off.

FERAL Furlong, wait!

Chance ignores him and vaults over the hedge. Jake hurries after him. Feral palms his face.

INT. GARAGE

The THUGS hold the remaining MECHANICS at gunpoint, lining them up against a wall. DARK KAT walks to his car and opens the door. Todfeld walks over and presses the button to open the doors.

DARK KAT When you're finished, load the crates into the car and meet me back at Darkhaven. I don't want that truck connected to me in any way.

He gets in and slams the door.

EXT. CRUMMY STREET - NIGHT

CHANCE lands deftly on both feet in a crouching position. A moment late, he is joined by JAKE who lands in a similar position. The doors of the garage open and the BLACK SEDAN emerges. The windows are tinted so the driver can't be seen. It hangs a left and drives off. The garage doors close.

Jake draws his gun and they both hurry across the street and huddle against the outside wall by the doors.

JAKE So what's the plan, genius?

CHANCE No idea. I'm makin' this up as I go along. I figure, we see bad guys with guns, we shoot 'em.

He pauses and listens.

CHANCE No more shots. Whatever happened in there is over.

He turns and grins at Jake.

CHANCE Whaddaya say we knock on the door and say hi?

JAKE Chance--

CHANCE (cutting him off)  
Relax, buddy. If anything goes wrong the Lieutenant's right across the street.

INT. GARAGE

TODFELD and LEONARD finish loading the final crate into the back of the SUV, shutting the back. Suddenly they hear a knock. They bristle and Todfeld turns to ALBERT, who is guarding the captured MECHANICS.

TODFELD Whoever it is, get rid of 'im.

Albert, hiding the tommygun behind his back, nods and walks over to the door. Todfeld levels his own weapon at the terrified mechanics, still lined up against the wall.

TODFELD (whispering)  
Any of you makes a sound, you die.

Albert opens the door a crack to reveal CHANCE.

ALBERT Whaddaya want?

CHANCE Uh, hi there....you're not a mechanic are ya?

ALBERT I look like a mechanic, jerkface? Get lost.

Chance frowns and kicks the door in, hitting Albert in the face. The thug falls over backwards, his sunglasses flying off.

ALBERT Ow!

Chance and JAKE leap in, guns drawn.

JAKE Freeze! You're all under arr--Aahhh!

He realizes they're staring right down the barrel of Todfeld's gun. He fires. They duck back outside as the laserfire rips up the doorframe.

EXT. PLAYGROUND

FERAL and the others heard these fresh shots.

FERAL Blast those two! All right, move in!

INT. GARAGE

ALBERT scrambles to his feet, grabbing his sunglasses and putting them back on.

The MECHANICS take this opportunity to bolt. The push down LEONARD and flee en masse out the back exit. TODFELD, noticing them, whirls and fires, but misses. They all escape. He turns to his two companions.

TODFELD Come on, let's get outta here!

EXT. CRUMMY STREET.

CHANCE and JAKE huddle alongside the door, panting.

CHANCE Okay, so, the bad guys are a little better armed than we are. Not a problem.

JAKE Not a problem? And how do you suggest we overcome this obstacle, oh fearless leader?

Chance glares at him. Suddenly the front of the building EXPLODES outward as the SILVER SUV plows through the wall. It swerves right and heads down the street.

CHANCE Well, on the bright side, it just turned into a car chase.

Hearing scuffling sounds, they turn and see the MECHANICS emerge from an adjacent alleyway, running full-tilt as the sound of sirens approaches. Suddenly FERAL and the ENFORCER COMMANDOS come charging through the bushes. The immediately overtake all but two of the mechanics who immediately surrender.

Three ENFORCER SEDANS round the corner up the street, tires squealing. One skids sideways and cuts off to the two remaining mechanics, who skid to a stop, raising their hands in surrender. From out of the car get two Enforcer officers, JABLONSKY and LYMAN.

JABLONSKY Hands up!

LYMAN Their hands ARE up, nitwit!

Watching this, Chance sighs.

CHANCE (to Jake)  
The moron patrol is here. Great.

Lieutenant Feral stomps up to them.

FERAL Which way did they go?

Jake points off down the street.

JAKE That way. At full speed.

The other two Enforcer sedans continue driving, whizzing past them. Frowning, Chance jumps up and runs to Jablonsky and Lyman's car. Jake runs after him.

FERAL Furlong, get back here!

JAKE What are you doing, Chance?!

CHANCE No crook gets away from Chance Furlong! You comin' or what?

Chance gets into the driver's seat and shuts the door. Jablonsky and Lyman are busy cuffing the mechanics so they don't notice. Yet. Jake, looking exasperated, slides into the passenger's seat.

JAKE I'm gonna regret this.

Stepping on the gas, Chance peels off, Jake yelping and shutting the door as the car fishtails and roars off down the street. Now Jablonsky and Lyman notice Chance "borrowing" their car.

LYMAN Hey--!!!

EXT. MAIN STREET - NIGHT

A pair of CITY WORKERS are busy hanging a banner between two lamp posts that reads "MEGAKAT CITY 400TH ANNIV. CELEBRATION" when suddenly the SILVER SUV roars by underneath them. The workers watch it go zooming off, then shrug tiredly and resume their work.

Inside, TODFELD is at the wheel, LEONARD riding shotgun, and ALBERT in the backseat. We can see that taking up the backseat with Albert are several of the crates. The rest are visible in the cargo area.

Hearing sirens, Leonard sees a pair of ENFORCER SEDANS suddenly gaining on them, sirens blaring.

LEONARD We got a tail!

TODFELD Wax those clowns!

Leonard takes out what appears to be a tommygun, and leans out the window and shoots at the pursuing Enforcers, but the gun fires lasers instead of bullets, shattering the windshield of the first one.

The SEDAN WITH CHANCE AND JAKE is rapidly gaining on the chase. Steering with his right hand, Chance whips out his laser pistol in his left and leans out the window, firing at the SUV. shattering the rear window of the SUV, making Albert yelp.

ALBERT Can't ya go any faster?!

TODFELD I'm flooring it now!

As the SUV heads towards Old Megakat Bridge in the distance it passes a large TANKER TRUCK, and Leonard, getting an idea, turns and shoots out the truck's back tires. The SUV flies past the out-of-control tanker which begins veering to the left and finally overturns and blows up. The first two Enforcer sedans screech to a halt to avoid hitting the flaming wreckage.

Not Chance.

Leaning back inside he floors it. Jake looks a trifle nervous.

JAKE Chance...? What are you--CHAAAAAAAANCE!!!

Jake covers his eyes. The other ENFORCER OFFICERS, now out of their cars, watch in disbelief as Chance's sedan barrels past them, shooting right through the wall of fire. The car is a bit singed and the wheels are aflame, but otherwise undamaged. Slowly Jake uncovers his eyes, blinking. Turning, he glares at Chance and hits him.

JAKE Warn me next time!

Chance laughs. In the SUV, Todfeld stares in shock at his rearview mirror.

TODFELD I don't believe it!

LEONARD Look, we can lose 'im at the bridge!

He points up ahead at Megakat Bridge, where a large ship is getting ready to pass and the bridge is already starting to raise. Todfeld nods and swerves through the traffic, Chance's Enforcer sedan right behind him.

EXT. OLD MEGAKAT BRIDGE - NIGHT

The SILVER SUV barrels towards the raising bridge. It ramps up the incline and shoots into space! Inside, TODFELD, LEONARD and ALBERT are wide-eyed with fear! Luckily the SUV makes the jump, slamming onto the opposite side before it raises too high. The SUV speeds wildly down to the bottom, hits it in a burst of sparks, and continues on unmolested.

CHANCE AND JAKE'S SEDAN isn't so lucky. Chance tries to climb the incline like Todfeld did, but by now it is tilted too far. The front-wheel drive sedan's wheels skid uselessly on the pavement and the sedan slides back down, its bumper smacking into the bottom and crumpling the back end.

CHANCE Well, that could've gone better.

Jake palms his face.

JAKE The Lieutenant's gonna kill us.

EXT. CITY STREET "A" - NIGHT

The KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN is parked on the sidewalk. Sitting in it is JONNY K., who is tuning in to a police band sitting on the van's dashboard; nearby ANN GORA is buying Chinese food from a VENDOR.

JONNY Hey, Annie, c'mere and listen to this!

Walking over with two boxes of takeout, Ann gets into the passenger's seat of the van.

ANN What is it, Jonny?

JONNY Check this out.

He twiddles the dial on the radio, and we hear an ENFORCER'S VOICE coming in through the static.

ENFORCER'S VOICE (through the radio)  
--repeat, the road's been blocked by flaming wreckage, but the thieves are headed south Old Megakat Bridge! Driving a silver sport utility vehicle, I repeat, a silver sport utility vehicle! Be advised--

ANN That's less than a mile from here! Whaddaya say, Jonny?

They speed off.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT

ANN and JONNY in the NEWS VAN comes onto road amidst slow-moving, sparse late-night traffic. All of a sudden, the SUV, horn blaring, roars into view, weaving in and out of the sparse traffic, passing the news van.

ANN (excitedly)  
There, Jonny, that's them!

JONNY All right, so now what?

ANN Follow them! Hundred to one they lead us right to Dark Kat!

Jonny shakes his head but starts to follow them anyway.

JONNY Annie, I just don't know what makes you think these robberies are being committed by guys workin' for this so-called Dark Kat.

ANN Come on, Jonny, it's been the same gang every time, and the same getaway vehicle!

JONNY All right, all right, I know better than to argue with you....

The SUV zooms off into the night, with the Kat's Eye News van tailing them at a safe enough distance. 


	2. Chapter 2

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT

The NEWS VAN drives along a two-lane blacktop, not another car visible for miles or even another house, just endless tress. Suddenly up ahead, ANN and JONNY see a dark wrought-iron gate emblazoned with "D" insignia. Jonny slows the van to a stop at the gate. Beyond the gate is a gravel road leading up to a large mansion, barely visible in the darkness.

JONNY What's this place?

ANN Darkhaven Manor. It used to be some big mansion that the Deputy Mayor's family lived in but it's been closed up for years.

JONNY Sounds like a good place for these guys to have their hideout, huh?

Ann nods.

JONNY And I'll bet the Deputy Mayor would love to know whose occupyin' his house while he lives in the city!

ANN Take us around the side.

Jonny drives down the road a ways; ahead they can see a bridge going over a gorge or ravine of some sort. Rather than going over it, though, Jonny turns and drives into the woods a ways, stopping and turning the headlights off.

JONNY Want me to go in with you?

ANN No, it might be dangerous, and if I don't come back I need you here to call for help.

Jonny looks extremely worried, but nods. Taking a small camera, Ann gets out of the van.

EXT. CITY HALL - NIGHT

Est. shot of City Hall.

INT. CITY HALL - MANX'S OFFICE

MAYOR MANX is talking with DEPUTY MAYOR CLAUDE BALCUS, a large and imposing grey kat. They are going over various decorations that say "400TH ANNIV." on them.

MANX I think the green and blue looks best, don't you, Claude?

He holds up a version of a banner that says "400th Anniversary" in blue lettering on a green background.

BALCUS I actually prefer the, uh, purple and red color scheme, Mr. Mayor.

He points with a clawed finger to a version that has red lettering on a dark purple background. Manx frowns and picks it up, scrutinizing it.

MANX I don't know. Seems a bit.... imperious, don't you think? I'm still not entirely sure we ought to host the big bash at that drafty old mansion anyway.

Balcus smiles.

BALCUS Why, that's the idea, sir. To show the people of Megakat City, not to mention the world, that after two-hundred years as a modern metropolis we're still the most powerful city in the country.

He makes a fist. Manx still looks a bit uncertain, but shrugs, tossing down both pictures.

MANX Eh, whatever. Just as long as we get this over with. I'm tired and I need to be up early for tee-off in the morning.

BALCUS Relax, Mayor, you won't miss a wink of sleep.

Suddenly the phone rings. Manx answers it.

MANX (into the phone)  
Manx.

There's a pause. He looks disappointed, then turns and hands the phone to Balcus.

MANX It's for you.

Balcus takes it and brings it to his ear, listens for a moment, smiles.

BALCUS Good. Good! Yes, I think that should be enough. Yes, I'll be right over.

He hands the phone back to Manx, who brings it to his ear but hears only the dial tone. Looking annoyed, he hangs it up as Balcus goes over to where his overcoat is draped over a chair.

MANX Where are you going?

BALCUS Sorry, sir, but some important business came up that I need to attend to. I'm sure you understand.

Manx looks sullen as Balcus throws his coat on and walks out of the office confidently.

BALCUS We'll finish going over the decorations tomorrow.

MANX (to himself)  
Welp, there goes my golf game tomorrow....

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

The mansion is positively ancient, probably from around the turn of the century, with overgrown plants and large vines gripping the sides like tentacles. Most of the windows are bolted and shuttered, those that are open reveal only darkened rooms. There's a grand fountain on the front lawn, but it's turned off at the moment.

ANN GORA creeps around the side of the house, following the gravel driveway to the back of the building where the motorpool is. There are a pair of matching BLACK SEDANS sitting in the darkened garage.

The SILVER SUV is sitting parked right there, the back open, a single crate labeled "Property of Megakat Mint" sitting in plain view. Ann uses her camera to snap a photo of the car and its incriminating contents. Hearing a door open, she hides in some bushes.

Two thugs, FLETCH and WHITEY, come out of a side door, followed by TODFELD. The thugs get the crate out of the back of the SUV, hefting it with some effort. Obviously the contents are quite heavy.

FLETCH Sheesh, these things weigh a ton!

WHITEY Good thing this is the last of 'em!

TODFELD Quit your griping.

They carry the crate in through the side door; Todfeld shuts the back of the SUV then turns and follows, closing the door with a loud bang. Ann slowly creeps out of hiding. She tries the door. It's locked. Noticing some light coming from a window and goes and cautiously peers in, beholding an ornate dining room with a table for twelve. Finding that the window is unlocked, she carefully slides it open.

ANN (whispering)  
Yes!

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - DINING ROOM

This room has been used recently. Half-eaten pizza and takeout adorns the otherwise expensive china; clearly the thugs' supper. A grandfather clock with a "D" symbol in the middle of the face ticks loudly. ANN creeps to the open door, jumps back silently as a THUG walks past without seeing her. She peers around the corner of the doorframe.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALL "A"

The THUG walks down the hall, and takes a right; ANN quietly follows him and watches him go to a closed door. When he opens it and goes through, an orange light floods the dark hall. The thug doesn't close the door all the way, and so Ann is allowed to sneak over and peer in.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - GOLD ROOM

What was once a sizable basement has been very recently converted into a working foundry. THUGS wearing hardhats, including all of the ones we've seen already, are working on opening the crates from the SUV, using crowbars. The basement door opens onto a landing, from which a flight of stairs descend down into the foundry; ANN creeps towards the edge of the landing and gapes down at the massive operation before her. The thugs are taking gold bars out of the crates they stole, and carrying them over and dropping them into an enormous heated vat, about twelve feet wide and ten feet deep, filled almost to the brim with bubbling liquid gold!

ANN (to herself)  
Kats alive, what an operation!

Making sure the flash is off on her camera, she begins snapping photos of the thugs going about their work. TODFELD, also wearing a hardhat, appears to be directing them, hurrying them along, flanked by LEONARD and ALBERT.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT

JONNY is still waiting in the VAN when he sees a pair of headlights coming down the road through the trees. It is a LONG BLACK CAR of some sort, and stops at the front gate, which creaks open for it, and then it drives through. The gates shut with a loud clang.

JONNY Uh-oh....

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - GOLD ROOM

ANN continues taking pictures willy-nilly, all the while the THUGS are oblivious to her presence. Suddenly, though, TODFELD notices her out of the corner of his eye.

TODFELD What the--???

He spins and looks up at her.

ANN (to herself)  
Crud!

TODFELD Look!

Ann leaps to her feet. The other thugs begin turning and looking up at her one by one. ALBERT and ANOTHER THUG are already running up the steps towards her, wielding crowbars.

TODFELD Get her!

They rush for the stairs as one. Ann grabs a large metal drum of some sort that's sitting on the landing and with some effort heaves it over the first step. It bounces down and hits Albert, knocking him back into the other thug. Both they and the drum tumble in a huge heap down the stairs towards the other thugs coming up. They try to turn and run back down but get hit and scatter like bowling pins!

Without wasting a beat, Ann throws open the basement door, runs through--

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALL "A"

--and pulls it shut behind her. She locks it! Turning she races off down the hall.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - GOLD ROOM

TODFELD reaches the top of the stairs, tries the door, finds it locked and bangs on it angrily!

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

We see that the newly arriving car is a BLACK LIMOUSINE. It pulls into the motorpool and parks behind the SILVER SUV. A uniformed CHAUFFEUR gets out, but the occupant opens his door himself; it is DEPUTY MAYOR BALCUS! Shutting the door he walks around to the front of the house, producing a key and unlocking the front door. He goes inside.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - DINING ROOM

ANN rushes through the dining room, and hurriedly climbs out through the window.

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

ANN noisily tumbles into some bushes, attracting the attention of the CHAUFFEUR. He blinks, walking around, and sees her.

CHAUFFEUR Hey, lady, what are you doing here?!

ANN I--

She is cut off by the muffled sound of a laser gun going off inside the house.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALL "A"

The basement door is blown open by TODFELD, who shot the doorknob, and lock, off. He and the OTHER THUGS, most of them still wearing their hardhats, pour into the hall!

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

The CHAUFFEUR, starting to get an idea of what's going, makes a grab for ANN. He misses and she pushes him down and bolts off down the gravel driveway!

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - MAIN HALL

BALCUS is standing in the large and ornate grand main hall of the mansion all we can't make out any details of it just now. He looks confused, then sees a mob of flashlights storming towards him; TODFELD and the THUGS.

BALCUS What in blazes is going on?!

TODFELD Security breach, sir! Some she-kat with a camera!

Balcus gnashes his teeth.

BALCUS Find her! Now!

ANN is seen running down the driveway through one of the main hall's large front windows.

ALBERT Hey, there she goes!

TODFELD Come on, guys!

They all rush past Balcus, who sighs and fixes his tie.

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

ANN is on the run. She makes it to the main gate, tugs on it. It's locked. Turning, she sees both the CHAUFFEUR coming around the side of the house and the mob of THUGS with flashlights pouring out the front door. Panting she runs along the ten-foot-high fence, as the thugs fire on her with her with their laser pistols! She runs and runs and runs until the fence comes to an end...but only because it terminates at the edge of the gorge that the mansion borders. She almost loses her balance and falls in, but manages to grab the fence and save herself.

Suddenly, the fence explodes inwards as the KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN blasts through it!

ANN Jonny?!

The van screehces to a halt and JONNY throws open the passenger's side door for her.

JONNY Get in, quick!

Ann doesn't need to be told twice! She runs and gets in. Before she's even shut the door, Jonny floors it and the van tears across the lawn, right towards the charging army of thugs (there are about ten in all), firing their lasers. The windshield is shattered by a direct hit, Ann shielding herself from the glass, as Jonny wildly drives into the midst of the thugs. They scatter and dive out of the way, all save TODFELD, who is struck and winds up on the hood of the van, with his heels dragging on the ground. He grunts and hangs on for dear life, glaring at Ann and Jonny through the smashed windshield, still wearing his hardhat.

JONNY Oh, crud, what do I do, what do I do?

ANN Just get us out of here!

Jonny turns and barrels towards the closed main gate. Todfeld is beginning to slip, his dragging heels getting him slowly but surely pulled underneath the vehicle. He's clinging to the grill as he turns and sees the gate rush at him, and he screams.

TODFELD Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT

The VAN plows through the iron gates, blowing them off their hinges and sending them flying. We briefly see TODFELD go under the van, and ANN and JONNY hear a muffled thump. Looking in the rearview mirror, Jonny sees the body go rolling across the road.

JONNY Holy kats! I just ran that guy over, Annie!

ANN He was trying to kill us! Keep driving!

He floors it and they go speeding off down the road just as ALBERT, WHITEY, FLETCH and the REST OF THE THUGS run out into the road, firing uselessly at the retreating van. Seeing Todfeld, Albert runs over to him along with a couple of the other thugs the rest stop firing and glower. The SILVER SUV roars out of the gate and screeches to a halt, LEONARD behind the wheel. Whitey flags it down and it and he and Fletch get inside, and drive off.

A moment later, BALCUS himself comes running out through the gate and stands there in the street watching the SUV going off down the road. Turning to where the rest of the thugs are gathered around Todfeld, he walks over. Albert is holding Todfeld's head. His body appears mostly intact; his hardhat saved his skull from being crushed at least.

ALBERT He's....dead....

Balcus scowls, looking furious.

BALCUS Take him inside.

The thugs look confused.

ALBERT But, he's dead--

BALCUS Do what I say!!!

Leaping to do as commanded, Albert takes Todfeld under his arms while another thug gets his feet, and they gingerly carry him back inside the fence towards the mansion, the rest of the thugs following. Balcus looks down the dark road a moment longer, then turns and follows them.

EXT. CITY STREET "B"

A HOT DOG VENDOR is preparing two hot dogs. One is pretty plain with just ketchup and mustard. The other is still being made. CHANCE FURLONG, an off-duty Enforcer in his civvies, is directing the vendor.

CHANCE That's right. C'mon, more relish, c'mon, I'm a big boy, I can take it.

The vendor looks up at him and smirks as he slathers on heaps of pickles, relish and chili.

HOT DOG VENDOR One of these days, Furlong, you're gonna die of too much cholesterol.

CHANCE Least I'll die happy. Besides, it's not like I don't work out or anything.

HOT DOG VENDOR Knock on wood. You Enforcers are my best customers.

He hands Chance the two dogs.

CHANCE Thanks!

He takes a bite out of his own dog and mmms in delight at the taste as he walks off down the sidewalk.

EXT. 1-HOUR PHOTO - NIGHT

The battered KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN is parked outside of a 1-hour photo developer. ANN, JONNY at her side, is arguing with the CLERK.

ANN Could you hurry this up, please?

CLERK Look, lady, if the sign says one hour, then it's gonna take one so hour. Relax.

She turns to Jonny in a huff.

JONNY Hey, relax, Annie, we're outta danger now.

EXT. CITY STREET "B" - NIGHT

He has spoken too soon. The SILVER SUV from Darkhaven pulls up to the curb across the street. LEONARD and the OTHER TWO THUGS are inside it.

EXT. 1-HOUR PHOTO - NIGHT

The CLERK finally hands ANN an envelope, which she all but snatches out of his hands. Opening it, she thumbs through the photos within, sees they are of the foundry, and nods in satisfaction. Then she fishes the negatives out and pockets them. Turning to JONNY, she hands him the envelope. All of this is blocked from the view of the thugs by the news van.

ANN Get these to District Attorney Callie Briggs as fast as you can.

JONNY You got it, Annie.

He starts for the VAN, pauses.

JONNY What about you?

ANN I'm going to call the Enforcers.

He nods, gets into the van, and pulls away.

EXT. CITY STREET "B" - NIGHT

ANN looks left, then right, and then begins walking down the street through the crowds. The thugs in the SUV look a little confused.

FLETCH So do we follow him or do we follow her?

LEONARD Dark Kat said "go get her," so it's her you follow. And be careful not to let anyone see ya. I'll follow the cameraman.

FLETCH Right.

WHITEY and FLETCH get out of the SUV, which then drives off in pursuit of the Kat's Eye News van. The thugs quickly cross the street and begin following Ann. She glances back warily, notices them, and begins walking a little faster. They, in turn, pick up their pace.

Nearby, JAKE CLAWSON sits in a parked GREEN SEDAN. CHANCE comes walking up with the hot dogs. He hands Jake his through the window, just as the KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN goes past. They don't notice it.

CHANCE There ya go, buddy. Best Charlie's Hot Dog Stand has to offer.

JAKE Thanks.

He eyes Chance's half-eaten, dripping mess of a dog.

JAKE I see you ordered your usual.

CHANCE But of course!

He takes a bite of his hotdog. Jake nibbles on his.

CHANCE Mmm, man, I could live off these things.

The SILVER SUV drives by. Chance, chewing, watches it and its single occupant go.

CHANCE (with his mouth full)  
I don't believe it. Jake, did you see that? That looked like that silver SUV we were chasin' earlier!

Jake turns and watches the SUV turn a corner.

JAKE Hey, you could be right. Let's follow 'em.

Chance hurries chewing and swallows and is about to get in when he sees WHITEY and FLETCH across the street.

CHANCE Nevermind that, check out the two suits at twelve o'clock. They sure look like they're in a hurry.

Jake turns and looks at them.

JAKE Yeah, I wonder who--

He then looks over and sees the briskly walking ANN GORA.

JAKE Hey, isn't that Ann Gora?

Chance looks over, furrowing his brow. He sees Ann throw a glance over her shoulder, and follows her gaze to Whitey pushing his way thrugh the PASSERSBY.

CHANCE Yeah, I think it is. And I think those two are followin' her. I got a feelin' we ought to go over and see if she needs any assistance.

JAKE But we're off-duty.

CHANCE Well, we just got back ON-duty, partner. 'Sides. Weren't we gonna go galavanting off after some mystery SUV anyway?

He grins.

Meanwhile, Whitey catches up to Ann, Fletch right on his heels. He grabs her by the arm and, pulling a laser pistol, discretely sticks it against the small of her back.

WHITEY Don't scream. Fletch, get a cab.

Nodding, Thug 1 steps to the curb.

FLETCH Taxi!

A CAB pulls up. Fletch opens the door, while Whitey begins herding the terrified-looking Ann towards it. Suddenly Chance's voice stops them.

CHANCE'S VOICE (offscreen)  
Evenin' fellas.

Stopping all three turn to see Chance and Jake walking towards them. The thugs bristle. Ann tenses.

CHANCE Escortin' a lady home, huh? How gentlemanly of ya.

WHITEY Mind your own beeswax.

He starts trying to get Ann into the car, while Fletch, scowling, takes a step towards the two Enforcers. Ann suddenly elbows Whitey in the stomach, and as he doubles over, she shoves him backwards onto the sidewalk, then hurriedly climbs into the cab.

ANN Drive!

Seeing Whitey's gun, Chance tackles him as the cab speeds off. The two begin rolling around, wrestling for possession of the weapon.

Fletch meanwhile, reaches inside his suit and pulls his own laser pistol. Jake grabs his arm, forcing it upwards. Fletch squeezes the trigger, firing, hitting a streetlight and showering the area with sparks as BYSTANDERS scream and yell in surprise. Jake then decks him, and Fletch falls down, still holding the gun. Jake pulls his own sidearm, but Fletch kicks it away, then jumps up and runs off down the sidewalk.

JAKE Hey! Come back here, you!

He chases after the fleeing thug. Meanwhile, Chance has successfully subdued Whitey and handcuffs him, then thunks his head against the pavement and knocks him out.

WHITEY Oof!

CHANCE You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say ain't gonna be much....

INT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT

FLETCH runs into an alley with JAKE right on his heels. The young officer gives a flying tackle and grabs Fletch's legs, and he winds up face-first on the ground, his handgun sliding away across the cement. Jake is on top of him immediately, taking out a pair of cuffs and slapping them on him.

CHANCE rounds the corner now.

CHANCE Hey, good work, buddy, ya got 'im! And you thought tonight was gonna be a slow night!

JAKE Where's the other guy?

CHANCE Sleepin' like a baby.

Jake frowns.

JAKE And where's Ann Gora, for that matter?

Chance looks over his shoulder.

CHANCE She must've taken off in that cab. That's gratitude for ya.

JAKE Yeah, well, she probably didn't even know we were Enforcers.

Chance grabs Fletch away from Jake roughly.

CHANCE All right, scumbag, start talkin', what were you and your pal doin' tryin' to kidnap Ann Gora?

FLETCH I ain't sayin' nothin'....

CHANCE Well, we'll see about that once we get you boys downtown. C'mon, Jake, let's get these two back to the car and call it in. 


	3. Chapter 3

EXT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

Establishing shot of Enforcer Headquarters. ENFORCERS of every type are going in and out; COMMANDOES, OFFICERS, PLAINCLOTHES DETECTIVES, even a couple of PILOTS. ENFORCER SEDANS line the curb. Chance and Jake's GREEN SEDAN pulls up.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - CENTRAL BOOKING

CHANCE and JAKE drag their two prisoners, WHITEY and FLETCH, who look extremely angry, up to the front desk. Ahead of them are a pair of OFFICERS, named JABLONSKY and LYMAN, who have already collared a couple of the CAR THIEVES from before. SMITTY, the desk sergeant, is talking to the senior of the two.

SMITTY All right, get 'em outta here.

Jablonsky and Lyman grab the crooks and drag them off; Chance and Jake haul their own catch up to Smitty's desk. He doesn't look surprised at all.

SMITTY You two are going to set the record for most scumbags brought in in a single a week, I swear.

Chance winks.

CHANCE Gotta aspire to somethin'.

SMITTY So what's the charge?

JAKE Attempted kidnapping, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace--

CHANCE --not to mention carrying concealed weapons!

He holds up a pair of sealed ziplock baggies containing the laser pistols. Smitty takes them.

SMITTY Long list. All right, put 'em in holding until the phones are free.

Fletch looks a bit alarmed.

FLETCH No phone call....?

SMITTY Every arrested criminal gets one free phone call, sir. And you and your friend are just two of over fifty arrested criminals currently occupying the premesis. Get 'em out of here.

Chance and Jake haul the two thugs off.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - HOLDING CELLS

CHANCE and JAKE enter. A GUARD unlocks the nearest cell, already half filled with CROOKS, including the previously seen CAR THIEVES. Jake unlocks FLETCH's cuffs and motions for him to go in; he does, scowling. Chance however, gives WHITEY the roughest shove he can after unlocking his cuffs.

WHITEY Hey, watch the suit, copper!

CHANCE If you thought THAT was rough, wait 'till I get the two of you into interrogation alone!

The thug sneers.

WHITEY We'll see about THAT.

He spits onto the front of Chance's shirt. Chance looks down at the spit, eyes wide.

CHANCE What? Why you son of a---!!!

He balls up his fist and punches Whitey in his grinning face so hard that the thug goes reeling backwards into the small crowd of prisoners, who part, allowing him to thud to the floor. Looking a bit shocked, the guard hurriedly closes and locks the cell door.

FERAL'S VOICE (offscreen)  
FURLONG!!!

They turn and see LIEUTENANT FERAL and a stern-looking ENFORCER SERGEANT stomping towards them. Jake sighs.

JAKE Uh-oh. Now we're gonna get it.

Feral steps up to Chance and Chance alone, however, ignoring Jake, who smiles and gives a nervous little wave to the Sergeant.

FERAL What was that I just saw? Did you just strike a prisoner?

SERGEANT He did, sir. I saw it.

CHANCE He spat on me, Lieutenant, sir.

FERAL I don't care if he spat on you AND insulted your mother. You do not hit the prisoners. Is that understood?

CHANCE Yes, Lieutenant, sir.

FERAL Now, what did you arrest him for?

Jake opens his mouth to rattle off the long list of offenses, but then--

CHANCE They were tryin' to kidnap Ann Gora, we stopped 'em, things got rough.

Jake frowns, disliking Chance interrupting him like that. Feral hmms and strokes his chin in thought.

FERAL The news reporter, eh? Well, I think I'll take it from here, you two.

Chance's eyes bug out.

CHANCE You? But, Lieutenant, it's our collar! Jake had to practically chase one of these guys down!

FERAL Good work, then. But after your little temper tantrum their lawyer will have a field day with any confession you get out of them.

He points a finger directly at Chance's nose but Chance doesn't flinch, remaining firm.

FERAL You're a good Enforcer, but you don't know everything, and I'm tired of taking the heat for you. That temper of yours is going to get you into trouble one day, Furlong. So keep it in check. Otherwise, next time I'll tell the Commander about it. Got that?

After a brief pause, Feral lowers his finger and turns and marches off, the Sergeant at his heels. As soon as they're gone, Chance breathes a small sigh of relief.

JAKE The Commander, huh? I'm really shaking.

CHANCE Heh, yeah. He can't even get our names right. Feral's the one who scares me.

They walk out.

EXT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - OFFICES

CHANCE and JAKE enter the main office area, looking more than a bit worn out.

JAKE He's right, you know.

CHANCE Yeah, I know, I know. I just get so mad sometimes. Plus, I don't care if he IS a lieutenant. He acts like he's a dictator, and this office is his little banana republic.

JAKE Now what?

CHANCE Well, we go home. I'm tired. Come on.

They start for the door. Another OFFICER sitting at a desk waves.

ENFORCER OFFICER Yo, Furlong! Hey, before you head out, the mail guy dropped somethin' on your desk earlier.

Chance immediately runs to his desk and sees an envelope in his "In" box. He snatches it up. It reads "ENFORCER AIR SQUADRON DIVISION, VIA CMDR. ASHLAND."

CHANCE It's from upstairs! It's about my application, it's gotta be!

Jake watches as Chance uses his thumb claw like a letter opener and removes a letter from inside. We do not see the contents. Chance's eyes dart back and forth as he reads aloud.

CHANCE "Dear Officer Furson," gah, there he goes getting our names wrong again, "we regret to inform you that....blah blah blah blah...."

He crumples up the piece of paper, looking sour.

JAKE I take it you got a bit fat "no."

Chance turns and tosses the wadded-up paper into the nearest deskside trashcan.

CHANCE Yeah. Again. "Not pilot material," my left foot....

EXT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - NIGHT

CHANCE and JAKE exit the front of the building and start down the front steps.

CHANCE I mean come on! I know more about planes than some of the actual guys in the squadron!

JAKE Chance, watching documentaries about the Red Lynx and Mega War II dogfights isn't exactly immediate qualification for being a pilot.

Chance growls.

CHANCE Rrrr! I know! But they won't even let me take the freakin' test for cryin' out loud! I even said I'd be willing to try out for the chopper squadron!

They pass JABLONSKY and LYMAN. They both appear younger than Chance and Jake and smirk at them.

LYMAN Hey, Furlong, heard you punched out your third prisoner.

CHANCE Get bent, Lyman.

LYMAN Aw, shut up, Mr. "I'll never be a pilot!"

Chance turns and starts throwing a punch; Jake grabs his arm and manages to just stop him. Lyman growls and lunges for them, but is held back by Jablonsky.

LYMAN You wanna get into it right here?! Huh?! Come on!

CHANCE Aw, you're not worth it...

JABLONSKY Come on.

Jake and Jablonsky both steer their hot-tempered partners in the opposite directions.

CHANCE See what I mean, buddy? It's the stress. I can't stand bein' a cop on the ground! Ever since I went up in that old cropduster with my dad I've wanted to be a pilot. I don't care if it's a jet or a chopper, I just wanna be up in the air! And every time those jerks upstairs take it away from me....

Jake pats him on the back.

JAKE I know, buddy, I know. Don't get too hung about it. Come on, let's get you home. 


	4. Chapter 4

ACT II

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY

CLAUDE BALCUS, dressed in his hooded robe as THE DARK KAT, stands reading from an arcane tome of some sort. ALBERT stands nearby.

The room is stone. Stone walls and stone floor. There is an enormous, shallow pit in the middle of the room with a metallic cover over it; the cover is currently lifted. Bookshelves stuffed to overflowing with ancient texts as well as demonic-looking statues and tables of scientific equipment, both modern and alchemical, fill the otherwise bare room.

A SHROUDED FORM is lowered into the pit. Dark Kat retrieves an ornamental flask of some kind of powder and approaches the pit and looks into it. It is currently filled with a greenish-colored liquid, into which the shrouded figure is lowered.

DARK KAT By combining modern science and arcane magic, perhaps I have a found a means of cheating death.

ALBERT You sure it'll work?

DARK KAT There's only one way to find out.

He pours the powder from the flask into the liquid, which begins bubbling.

DARK KAT Hear me, ye powers of the night! I, your most devoted of followers, ask humbly that you bestow life once more into this, my faithful servant, that he might serve me once more!

Setting the flask aside, Dark Kat begins reading rom the enormous and ancient book he holds.

DARK KAT Return, life! Return, soul! Make supple the limbs and strong the sinews. Refill his heart with desire, that he may walk again the land of the living, and once more serve the powers of darkness.

The liquid in the pit bubbles and broils more and more fiercely. Albert, looking in, leans over too far; Dark Kat pulls him back, and then watches in the activity in the pit with rapt fascination.

EXT. CITY HALL - NIGHT

The KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN is sitting parked outside.

INT. CITY HALL - CALLIE'S OFFICE

JONNY K., holding the envelope from the photo place, is in the middle of talking to a bored-looking aide, TIM, in a power tie in Callie Briggs' second-floor office. Jonny isn't wearing his sunglasses; they're in his pants pocket and he's holding his baseball cap in his other hand.

Tim appears to be the only person left in the building. He's closing up and getting ready to go home, with Jonny trailing after him urgently.

TIM I already told you. The District Attorney has already gone home. Everyone else has, except me.

JONNY But, look, buddy, this is a matter of life and death! She's gotta get these photos!

He thrusts the envelope at Tim, who frowns and accepts them.

TIM All right, all right, if it means that much to you, I'll give them to her first thing in the morning.

Jonny breathes a sigh of relief, putting his hat back on.

JONNY Thanks, man, you're a life-saver!

He turns and runs out, and Tim frowns and opens the envelope, and thumbs through the photos. The pictures of the thugs in hardhats, the gold foundry, etc. He blinks, puzzled. He calls after Jonny.

TIM Hey, wait a second, where were these taken...?

He looks up, and sees that Jonny is gone however.

EXT. CITY HALL - NIGHT

JONNY comes out of the front entrance, and pauses warily on the steps. Taking his sunglasses out of his pocket, he puts them on and takes a deep breath.

JONNY (to himself)  
Take it easy, Jonny ol' pal.

He walks down the steps towards the parked NEWS VAN, and is taking out his keys to open the door when suddenly LEONARD appears from behind it holding a laser pistol, catching him off guard.

JONNY Hey!

Leonard pistol-whips Jonny, and the cameraman falls to the pavement, dropping the keys.

EXT. CITY HALL - NIGHT (A FEW MINUTES LATER)

TIM emerges, still holding the envelope.

TIM Hey, buddy! Where'd you go?

He sees only the parked VAN. There's no sign of Jonny.

TIM That's weird...

EXT. MEGAKAT HEIGHTS - NIGHT

Megakat Heights is a large apartment building that looks like it must cost an arm and a leg to pay the rent in.

INT. MEGAKAT HEIGHTS - ANN'S APARTMENT

ANN GORA enters her apartment, turns and quickly locks the door. Her apartment is quite small, but nicely furnished. She clearly lives above her means and strives for a better life and career. Breathing a sigh of relief, she goes to the phone mounted on the wall, and as she reaches for it, it rings, startling her. She lets it ring a couple more times before finally picking it up.

ANN (into the phone)  
H-Hello?

We hear none other than FERAL'S VOICE on the other end of the line.

FERAL'S VOICE (through the phone)  
Is this Ann Gora?

ANN (into the phone)  
Who wants to know?

FERAL'S VOICE (through the phone)  
I'll take that as a "yes." Miss Gora--

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - FERAL'S OFFICE

Feral's office is rather cramped and somewhat messy, despite its owners extremely well-kept hair and uniform. He is currently on the phone.

FERAL (into the phone)  
--this is Lieutenant Feral of the Enforcers.

INT. MEGAKAT HEIGHTS - ANN'S APARTMENT

ANN (into the phone)  
Oh, thank goodness. I was just about to call you guys!

FERAL'S VOICE (through the phone)  
I see. Well, Miss Gora, a couple of my officers brought in two kats who were apparently attempting to kidnap you--

ANN (into the phone)  
They were! They followed me and my cameraman all the way from Darkhaven!

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - FERAL'S OFFICE

Blinking, Feral leans forward a little.

FERAL (into the phone)  
Darkhaven? You mean that old mansion out near the gorge?

ANN'S VOICE (through the phone)  
Exactly! We followed them there after they robbed the Megakat Mint!

Snapping his fingers, Feral summons the ENFORCER SERGEANT. He covers the receiver with one hand.

FERAL (whispering)  
It's Ann Gora. She's confirmed what Furlong and Clawson said. Get those two creeps they busted into interrogation this instant, and get some people out to, uh--

He talks back into the phone.

FERAL (into the phone)  
Miss Gora? Where do you live?

ANN'S VOICE (through the phone)  
Megakat Heights, why? Are you sending some people over?

FERAL (into the phone)  
Yes, immediately. We're going to take you into protective custody straight away.

INT. MEGAKAT HEIGHTS - ANN'S APARTMENT

FERAL'S VOICE (through the phone)  
You won't have a thing to worry about.

Suddenly, the doorknob on the front door jiggles. Then it twists harder, and someone begins banging on the other side. Ann gasps.

ANN (into the phone)  
Oh, no!

FERAL'S VOICE (through the phone)  
What's wrong? Miss Gora?

Suddenly the door busts inwards off its hinges. LEONARD, ALBERT and TWO MORE THUGS enter, looking mean. Ann cries out in surprise.

ANN (into the phone)  
They're here!

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - FERAL'S OFFICE

FERAL listens, wide-eyed, as he hears the sounds of a violent struggle occurring on the other end of the line. He shouts into the phone.

FERAL (into the phone)  
Miss Gora! Miss Gora!

Lowering the receiver he turns to the SERGEANT.

FERAL Megakat Heights! Hurry!

SERGEANT Yes sir!

He rushes from the room.

EXT. MEGAKAT HEIGHTS - NIGHT

The SILVER SUV is waiting outside, with one of the BLACK SEDANS we saw in the mansion's garage earlier parked behind it. The SUV is empty. A THUG DRIVER and THUG PASSENGER sit in the sedan.

ANN is carried out of the front entrance by LEONARD, ALBERT and the OTHER TWO THUGS. It takes all four of them to hold onto her with how much kicking and struggling she's doing. Leonard has his hand clamped firmly over her mouth, though, so she can't scream. Reaching the sedan, Albert gets in the backseat first and then Thug 1 shoves Ann in and gets in behind her, shutting the door; Leonard and Thug 2 get into the SUV and pulls off, the sedan quickly following...

....just as a trio of ENFORCER SEDANS come squealing around the corner in the opposite direction, sirens blaring. They don't notice the two retreating vehicles and pull up to the front of the apartment building.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - OFFICES

Out in the main office area, the SERGEANT is on a telephone. He frowns and slams the receiver down as FERAL emerges from his office.

SERGEANT We were too late. She's gone. The apartment looks like it was broken into.

FERAL I want an APB out on Ann Gora right now!

The Sergeant nods and heads off. Feral stands there for a moment, his hands on his hips, frowning sourly.

FERAL And where are those two Furlong and Clawson brought in?

An OFFICER (the same one who told Chance about his letter) comes over.

ENFORCER OFFICER I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but they're gone!

FERAL What do you mean "gone?" Did they escape?

ENFORCER OFFICER No sir. They were released on bail.

Feral can barely contain his fury.

FERAL On whose authority?!

STEELE'S VOICE (offscreen)  
Mine, Lieutenant.

They turn to see LIEUTENANT COMMANDER STEELE enter. The officer Feral was talking to scurries away as he approaches. Feral scowls and crosses his arms, not bothering to contain his contempt for his joke of a superior officer. Steele is casually eating a donut.

FERAL May I ask why?

STEELE Not that I have to explain myself to you, but sure. It came directly from the Commander himself.

FERAL What? Why?

Steele is about to answer when CHANCE and JAKE re-enter.

FERAL What are you two clowns doing back here?

CHANCE We heard Ann Gora had been kidnapped!

Jake glares at Steele who just raises one eyebrow and takes a bite of his donut.

CHANCE Lieutenant, I know I acted rashly before, but c'mon, let me in an interrogation room with at least one of those guys! I can get 'im to crack, I just know it!

We can tell how much it pains Chance to say he acted rashly, and Feral can, too. He sighs.

FERAL Ordinarily, I'd say desperate times call for desperate measures, but I've just been informed by Lieutenant Commander Steele here, that they've been allowed to walk.

Chance and Jake can both barely believe what they've just heard.

JAKE Why?!

STEELE Commander Ashland's orders.

CHANCE That isn't answering his question, sir.

We can immediately see that although Chance dislikes Feral, he respects the lieutenant's authority enough to talk to him as politely as he force himself to. With Steele, though, there isn't even the slightest hint of respect. Steele shoves the last bit of donut into his mouth, chewing noisily.

STEELE (with his mouth full)  
Like I said to Lieutenant Feral...

He swallows with a loud gulp.

STEELE Ahhh. Neither I nor the Commander have to explain ourselves to our subordinates. Especially low levels like you.

Chance grits his teeth. Jake looks a bit worried and places a calming hand on his partner's shoulder. Feral, though, has had enough.

FERAL Well, we'll just see about that.

He walks past Steele, who blinks and turns to watch him go. Halfway to the door, Feral pauses and calls back over his shoulder.

FERAL Are you two idiots coming or not?

Chance and Jake exchange glances, shrug, and then hurry after him. Steele stands there for a moment before racing after them.

STEELE Hey! Come back here! Where do you three think you're going? 


	5. Chapter 5

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - FRONT LOBBY

An elevator dings open and some PERSONNEL get out; before the door closes, CHANCE, JAKE and FERAL hurriedly get in and Feral presses the button for the top floor. The doors begin to shut just as STEELE comes running over.

STEELE Hey! You can't--

The doors shut in his face, cutting him off. Growling, he bangs on them with his fist, then uselessly presses the call button.

STEELE Rrrr! This is insubordination!

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE WAITING ROOM

A very plush waiting room with several seats. At a large desk is a SECRETARY, who is chewing gum and filing her nails. She looks like the type who was hired for her looks rather than her brains. The phone beside her rings and she answers it.

SECRETARY (into the phone)  
Commander Ashland's office.

STEELE'S VOICE (through the phone)  
Lieutenant Feral and a couple of roughnecks are on their way up! Stop them!

She blinks.

SECRETARY (into the phone)  
Me? But--

The nearby elevator, the only way in and out of the waiting room apart from the office door and the stairwell, dings open. CHANCE, JAKE and FERAL step out. The secretary stands up as they walk past her.

SECRETARY Hey, you can't just--

CHANCE This'll just take a second.

She sighs.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE

FERAL enters, flanked by CHANCE and JAKE and they both approach COMMANDER ASHLAND who is sitting behind a very large desk on a slightly elevated platform. Shockingly, he appears quite young, maybe only a little older than Steele; certainly several years Feral's junior, with glossy slicked-back hair. He looks up nonchalantly at the trio as they enter.

ASHLAND Ah, Lieutenant Feral. Come in.

The SECRETARY rushes in.

SECRETARY I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't stop them.

Ashland gives her a placating wave.

ASHLAND It's all right. I'll handle it.

Nodding, the secretary turns and exits, shutting the door.

ASHLAND So, Lieutenant, to what do I owe the honor of this, um....rather rude interruption of my paperwork?

Feral is about to speak, but Chance beats him to it.

CHANCE We wanna know why you let those two dirtbags we busted earlier go free!

Both Feral and Jake turn and glare at him.

ASHLAND Ah, yes. Officer....Furson, isn't it? And this would be Officer Clawlong.

Chance is about to correct him when Jake clamps his hand over his mouth suddenly. Ashland smiles. Feral turns to the Commander.

FERAL Er, I wouldn't have put it quite the way Officer Furlong did, sir, but that is why we're here.

Chance blinks, a little surprised that Feral put emphasis on his correct name. Ashland doesn't seem to notice, though.

FERAL And, with all due respect, I demand to know why.

Ashland nods.

ASHLAND All right. I'll be happy to explain my reasons. Let's start with these two. Furson and Clawlong. The pair with an arrest record a mile long....not to mention more reprimands than I can count on both hands. I hear from Steele that Furson even struck one of the prisoners in holding.

Chance winces.

CHANCE (under his breath)  
That little snitch.

ASHLAND There's nothing in the arrest report I've read that would suggest you two imbeciles arrested anything other than private citizens. With licenses to carry weapons, I might add.

FERAL Sir, with all due respect, criminals or not, those two might have at least valuable witnesses connected to the kidnapping of Ann Gora, which occurred less than an hour ago!

ASHLAND I don't see the connection, I'm afraid. It's obvious to me a huge mistake was made. Luckily for you, neither of the suspects has pressed charges.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE WAITING ROOM

STEELE gets off the elevator, and eyes the SECRETARY who shrugs.

STEELE You bimbo....

He turns and runs for the office door.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE

Steele bursts in, panting, just as Ashland is finishing talking.

ASHLAND ....and it is only Furson and Clawlong's outstanding arrest records that is keeping me from suspending them. But as of now, they're both off the case. Ah, Steele, how good of you to join us.

STEELE I'm sorry, sir, I--

ASHLAND Save it, Steele. The matter has already been resolved.

CHANCE Oh, no it has not!

Ashland rises and comes out from behind his desk.

ASHLAND Don't push your luck here, Furson. I'm giving you and Clawlong a break. Now keep your mouth shut and get out of here. You too, Feral. Steele, show them out.

Steele smirks and gestures to the door. Glowering, Chance, Jake and Feral walk out.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE WAITING ROOM

They walk through the waiting room. STEELE hovers behind them until the doors open and they get inside.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - ELEVATOR

CHANCE I can't believe this crud!

JAKE Can't we do anything, Lieutenant?

FERAL No. Our hands are tied, now. I've already breached protocol enough, and I'd prefer it if you two behaved yourselves. At least for a little while. Understood?

They nod solemnly.

FERAL Good. You'll report to the Sergeant for your next duties first thing tomorrow morning.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE

COMMANDER ASHLAND goes and sits behind his desk, then picks up the phone and dials a number. We hear the phone ring on the other end. STEELE enters, and Ashland glares at him.

ASHLAND Steele, go home or something. This is a private call. And shut the door!

Steele sighs and exits, closing the door behind him. After he's gone, we hear the person on the other end pick up.

BALCUS' VOICE (through the phone)  
Hello?

ASHLAND Hi, it's me.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - SITTING ROOM

A large, furnished den. DARK KAT reclines in a large armchair sat before a large fireplace. He is currently on the telephone.

ASHLAND'S VOICE (through the phone)  
Just calling to let you know that your two boys are their way back home.

DARK KAT Excellent. Thank you, Commander. Good-bye.

He smiles and hangs up.

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

The SILVER SUV and the BLACK SEDAN drive up the gravel road to the mansion and park. ANN GORA, her wrists bound, is forced out of the sedan.

ANN Get your hands off me! You'll all be sorry once the Enforcers find out what it is you're up to!

ALBERT Is that so?

ANN Yes, "that's so." Right now my cameraman is--

LEONARD You mean THIS cameraman?

He walks around to the back of the sedan and pops the truck, revealing JONNY, also bound at the wrists.

JONNY Sorry, Annie....

ANN It's okay, Jonny....

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - SITTING ROOM

ANN and JONNY are hered into the den by the THUGS. DARK KAT rises from his chair to greet them, smiling pleasantly. Ann's eyes widen.

ANN Deputy Mayor Balcus?! You--You're Dark Kat? That explains why these creeps have been using this mansion! It's because you've been letting them!

He laughs.

DARK KAT Quick on the draw, aren't you? Well, allow me to be equally as quick. You took photographs of my operation here, and I would like them back, if you don't mind. I am told you had them developed.

Albert frisks Ann and pulls the negatives out of her pocket, and hands them to Dark Kat. Ann silently curses herself for not having the presence of mind to hide those when the thugs busted in earlier.

DARK KAT Ah, the negatives. Well, that's a start. What about the actual photographs?

Ann remains silent.

LEONARD I think she gave 'em to this loser here. I nabbed 'im outside City Hall but he didn't have the pictures on 'im.

He gives Jonny a rough shove towards Dark Kat.

DARK KAT I see. And what, pray tell, did you do with those pictures?

JONNY Uh, I, well....

ANN (whispering harshly)  
Jonny, don't...

Dark Kat snaps his fingers. Leonard pulls a pistol and puts it to Jonny's head.

JONNY Ahh! Whoa, whoa, whoa! OKay, okay! I, uh, I took 'em to give 'em to District Attorney Briggs, but she wasn't there, so I gave 'em to some guy who worked there!

Dark Kat No name?

Jonny furiously shakes his head. Dark Kat nods and Leonard lowers the gun.

DARK KAT Well, it's refreshing to see someone who's cooperative for a change.

Jonny teeters a bit, looking down at the floor.

DARK KAT The D.A. has been a thorn in my side for quite some time. Those photos will be all she needs to expose me. I must get them back at all costs! Put somone on Briggs and watch her like a hawk. When whoever this simpleton gave the photos to gives them to her, strike at once!

One of the thugs nods, and he walks out. Dark Kat smiles and turns, tossing the negatives into the fireplace. He motions with his hand, and the other thugs seize Ann and Jonny and steer them from the room.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALLWAY "B"

ANN and JONNY are roughly escorted down the hall by the THUGS, DARK KAT trailing after a little ways.

DARK KAT Since she seemed so interested in my operation, put her and her friend somewhere where they can get a bird's eye view. Enjoy your stay, Miss Gora. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.

He chuckles darkly, then turns and walks to a battered-looking door and opens it.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY

DARK KAT walks down some stone steps and into the stone alchemy laboratory. The big pit in the center of the floor is currently covered. Boredly he begins reading from another old book when LEONARD enters.

LEONARD Hey, Dark Kat, they're back.

Dark Kat turns and smiles as he sees WHITEY and FLETCH come down the stairs after Sunglasses followed by ALBERT.

DARK KAT Ah, thank you, Leonard. Well, well, well, look who's not currently rotting in jail.

WHITEY Yeah, that get-outta-jail-free card you got for all of us sure does come in handy.

DARK KAT I told you getting Commander Ashland on my payroll would pay off.

WHITEY Woulda liked to have gotten that one jerk back, though.

He rubs his nose where Chance punched him. Fletch, a bit curious, walks to the edge of the pit and peers in, Dark Kat walking by him and over to Whitey.

DARK KAT You were hit?

WHITEY Yeah. That one Enforcer who arrested us.

Fletch glances over.

FLETCH Yeah, we would've gotten Ann Gora right there in the street if it wasn't for those two.

Dark Kat frowns.

DARK KAT Attempting a kidnapping in the middle of a crowded public area isn't the most advisable means of obtaining someone. But, that's all in the past.

WHITEY You ain't mad at us?

DARK KAT On the contrary. I have something you two can help me with.

He walks to a control panel and quickly finds and presses the button, causing the cover of the pit to slowly raise. The other two thugs go over and look inside. Dark Kat suddenly grabs Whitey by the scruff and shoves him into the pit, then gives Fletch a swift kick in the butt and he falls in, too. The two thugs land hard at the earthen bottom and sit up, dazed. Balcus steps up to the edge, looking down at them.

WHITEY Hey, what gives?

DARK KAT I'm afraid I don't have much use for hired hands who act as brazenly and stupidly as you two did tonight. So consider yourselves fired. Your new job is to be Todfeld's playmates.

They blink and look at one another.

FLETCH Todfeld, but he's--

Hearing a growl, they turn and TODFELD emerges from the shadows. He is nothing like how he saw him last. He is much thinner, emaciated, his hair greyish and stringy; a walking corpse nothing but a pair of purple boxer shorts. Tall Thug and Sunglasses Thug stand at the edge, blinking. The latter removes his sunglasses in disbelief.

Todfeld grins evilly, and attacks the other two thugs, backhanding Thug 2 and knocking him to the floor. He then grabs Fletch by the throat and lifts him off his feet. With a sharp twist, he snaps the thug's neck.

Whitey makes a flying leap for the pit wall, scrabbling up the side to grab Dark Kat's ankle.

WHITEY Please!

Dark Kat kicks him back in, then shuts the cover with a loud metallic bang. He turns to Leonard. Albert falls over backwards in a dead faint.

DARK KAT When he's through, he can come out.

He walks past him and the comatose Albert and heads up the steps.

DARK KAT In the meantime, tell the men to start getting this place ready for the party tomorrow night. The Mayor will throw a fit otherwise, and I can't afford to deal with one of his tantrums right now.

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

It is a new day in Megakat City. Various CITIZENS young and old go about their daily business. Amusingly (perhaps darkly so) the KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN is still parked out in front, and still quite battered from everything it's been through the night before. We watch as a GREEN SEDAN (different from the one Chance and Jake were in while off-duty pull up alongside it. At the wheel is DISTRICT ATTORNEY CALICO BRIGGS, or "CALLIE" to her friends.

She frowns at the van. Obviously, it is in her reserved space. Spotting an empty parking space across the street, Callie quickly and very expertly whips her car around and parrarel parks with ease. She is clearly a good driver. Getting out with a briefcase in her hand, she looks both ways waiting for traffic to pass her by; a GUY in a PICKUP TRUCK stops for her. She waves thanks to him (and he returns to gesture with a cheesy smile) and hurries across the street.

Pausing, she scowls at the news van, then turns and trots up the steps as deftly as her high heels will allow. Standing at the front door is a SECURITY GUARD, whom she approaches.

CALLIE Excuse me, but how long has that van been there?

The guard turns and eyes the van, tipping his cap up a bit.

GUARD Since my shift started this morning, Miss Briggs. Must've been there all night.

CALLIE Well, it's in my reserved space! I'd like to have it towed immediately.

He nods.

GUARD Happy to oblige, Miss Briggs. I'll call the towing company right away. And the Enforcers, since that meter looks like it's way overdue.

She smiles in gratitude before continuing in.

INT. CITY HALL - LOBBY

A hustle and bustle of activity as kats, male and female, in business suits scurry to and fro. Callie walks confidently towards the elevators but is stopped by a familiar voice. She turns and sees the TIM, the aide from the night before, running towards her.

TIM Callie! Hey!

CALLIE Oh, hi. You're never going to believe what happened to me just now...

She pushes the button for the elevator. Tim takes out the envelope of photos that we know Jonny gave him, but each time he opens his mouth to say something, Callie keeps talking. She doesn't mean to be rude. She's just (understandably) angry about someone parking in her spot.

CALLIE Someone parked in my reserved parking space.

The elevator dings and opens. Nobody inside.

INT. CITY HALL - ELEVATOR

CALLIE steps in. TIM hurriedly follows as she presses the button for the second floor.

CALLIE I swear, the first thing I'm gonna do once we get to my office is call the editor at the news station. And it's a Kat's Eye News van of all things! A really beat-up one, too. Looked like it'd been through Mega War III.

Tim looks surprised.

TIM It's still there?

Callie blinks, a little taken aback by his question.

CALLIE Yes. The guard out front said it's been there all night.

TIM Holy kats! Then he never came back!

Another ding. The doors open and they step onto the second floor.

INT. CITY HALL - CALLIE'S OFFICE

CALLIE and TIM enter, the aide ahead of Callie.

CALLIE Who never came back? What are you talking about?

TIM That cameraman from Kat's Eye News! He showed up last night while I was working late! Then he just disappeared. He-He gave me this....

He holds up the envelope.

TIM ....he said it was a matter of life and death! And you're never gonna believe what's inside!!!

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

It appears to be a little later. A TOW TRUCK is in the middle of preparing to remove the NEWS VAN. Its operators are BURKE and MURRAY, a pair of irritable siblings who haul scrap and do odd jobs like this for the Enforcers for a living.

BURKE Man, this thing looks worse than our truck, Murray!

MURRAY Hey, shut up, I like that truck!

BURKE You would! You don't like anything nice.

As they bicker, we see a figure wearing a long trenchcoat walking down the sidewalk. It is TODFELD. Still green-furred and grey-haired, but now wearing a suit and tie, he trots up the front steps, turning many a head. A few she-kats gasp.

As Murray hits a switch on the tow truck nearby and the van begins to be lifted up by its front bumper, an ENFORCER SEDAN pulls up and parks across the street. CHANCE and JAKE are inside of it, both of them wearing Enforcer officer's uniforms. Jake is wearing his hat, but Chance isn't. It sits on the dashboard. Neither of them looks terribly happy.

JAKE Traffic duty.

CHANCE The Commander WOULD let Steele tell the Sarge what our next assignment was. This is just plain torture.

JAKE Well, c'mon, let's get this over with. Come on.

He gets out. Chance remains seated, shaking his head and sighing. Then grabbing his hat he grudgingly puts it on and gets out as well. He frowns upon looking across the street.

CHANCE Hey, isn't that a....Kat's Eye News van?

JAKE Hey, yeah it is!

They hurry across the street, a couple of cars slamming their brakes on and honking their horns angrily. Unlike Callie, it seems no one is willing to stop for them.

CHANCE Hey! Take it easy! We're Enforcers, ya jerk!

He angrily thumps the hood of one of the cars, before continuing on after Jake.

JAKE They really should put a crosswalk or somethng here. 


	6. Chapter 6

INT. CITY HALL - CALLIE'S OFFICE

We can see CHANCE and JAKE crossing the street through the window, although CALLIE's attention is elsewhere right now. She and TIM have all of the photographs from the envelope spread out across her desk and are looking over them.

CALLIE Who took these? Did he say?

TIM No. He did, I guess. Where is this place?

Callie frowns, looking at photo after photo.

CALLIE I'm not sure. It looks like a foundry. But there's hundreds of foundries in the city. I wonder why he thought this would be so signi--Hold on a second.

TIM What is it?

Callie picks up a photo that clearly shows Todfeld (prior to his death), wearing his hardhat overseeing the operation.

TIM Hey, I recognize that guy.

CALLIE So do I. He's been around here a couple of times. Oh, but I can't think of his name. Can you?

Tim shakes his head.

TIM No. But! I have seen him talking to the Deputy Mayor a couple of times.

CALLIE The Deputy Mayor....

She narrows her eyes.

INT. CITY HALL - ELEVATOR

TODFELD stands in the elevator. A timid-looking ATTORNEY cowers beside him, sweating.

ATTORNEY J-Jeez, buddy, you look really ill. It's not contagious, is it....?

Todfeld turns and glares at him, then looks away.

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

CHANCE and JAKE are looking over the KAT'S EYE NEWS VAN for any sort of clues. Jake is underneath it examining the bottom, while Chance has the driver's side door open and is rummaging around inside. BURKE and MURRAY stand nearbv, arms folded, looking really impatient.

JAKE Y'know, Chance, I've got a funny feelin' if they knew what SORT of van it was that was illegally parked, they wouldn't have sent US here...

CHANCE Whaddaya mean?

Murray hollers over.

MURRAY Hey! When are youse two gonna be done so we can haul this heap a' junk to the impound?

CHANCE Keep your pants on, short stuff. We're gonna be here a while.

Murray sighs. Then, he spots an ICE CREAM TRUCK down the street.

MURRAY C'mon, Burke. Let these two jerks fiddle with that van all they want. We're gonna go enjoy some ice cream.

BURKE Heh, yeah, not to mention, overtime!

They walk off.

CHANCE Anyway, you were sayin', buddy?

JAKE Well, I just mean, it's a Kat's Eye News van. It's gotta be connected to Ann Gora's kidnapping somehow, so technically we shouldn't even be doing this.

CHANCE I don't care. I'm more interested in finding Ann Gora. If she's still alive.

He growls in frustration and slams the door.

CHANCE Nothin'. How 'bout you?

Jake starts to crawl out from under the van.

JAKE Naw, me nei--

He stops, midsentance. Something has caught his eye. He snatches it up. It's the keys Jonny dropped when he was knocked out.

CHANCE Keys?

JAKE You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?

CHANCE Yeah, they gotta go to this van.

INT. CITY HALL - SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY

The elevator doors open. The ATTORNEY is starting to get out first, but suddenly TODFELD barges through, violently shoving him aside and knocking him down.

ATTORNEY Hey!

Ignoring him, Todfeld strides towards Callie's office door, eyes wide, wild with fury. Out from under his trenchcoat he pulls a laser-tommygun, with a small rocket launcher mounted on it, oblivious to the sudden cries of fright from the various OFFICE WORKERS around.

OFFICE WORKER 1 Hey, look out!

OFFICE WORKER 2 He's got a gun! Somebody call the Enforcers!

INT. CITY HALL - CALLIE'S OFFICE

CALLIE and TIM can hear the muffled sounds of the yelling through the walls. Blinking, the aide walks to the door.

CALLIE What is it?

TIM I dunno...

He opens the door, and comes face-to-face with TODFELD, who glares at him. Seeing the gun, Tim cries out in alarm and quickly slams and locks the door.

TIM It's some crazy green guy with a gun! He--

He's cut off as laser-fire rips through the door - and him! He jerks as he's shot several times, Callie, wide-eyed, covering her mouth in shock. Finally he drops to the floor with a muffled thud. Tendrils of smoke flow from the burned holes in the door. Callie slowly creeps forward; she can see the dead aide on the floor.

CALLIE (softly)  
T-Tim....? Tim?

The doorknob suddenly jiggles, startling her. She grabs for the telephone just a green fist punches through the door, splintering the wood. Callie screams in surprise, and hurriedly begins dialing. Todfeld's arm gropes for the doorknob, can't find it. Finally he just blows the lock (and the doorknob) off entirely, which seems to be his answer for any locked door, and it flies open.

Todfeld enters, gun up, and opens fire. Callie barely has time to duck as laser-fire rips into her desk, destroying paperwork, the photos, the phone, and various knick-knacks, and shatters the window behind it.

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

CHANCE, JAKE and several PASSERSBY all look up suddenly as one of the second floor windows shatters raining glass down on the street.

JAKE What the--?!

INT. CITY HALL - CALLIE'S OFFICE

When TODFELD stops firing, CALLIE, thinking quickly, jumps up and grabs a small bust of Mayor Manx off a nearby file cabinet and hurls it at him! It smacks him in the head.

TODFELD Ow!

But this seems to do little other than make him somewhat dizzy. So Callie throws her purse at him, and then her briefcase, which knocks the gun out of his hands. Growling, he walks towards her, grabs her and lifts her off her feet, lifting her over his head, then turns and throws her out the already broken window!

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

CALLIE comes flying out of the window. CHANCE, acting quickly, rushes up the steps in an instant and Callie lands in his arms and they both thud to the cement, hard, but safely. Chance's Enforcer hat comes off in the process.

CALLIE You-you saved my life!

CHANCE Oof...don't mention it. It's my job. My arms are gonna be sore tomorrow, but it's my job...

They both get up.

CHANCE What happened up there?

Callie talks quickly, breathlessly.

CALLIE This guy! He's green and sick-looking and crazy! He killed one of the people who works in my office and now he's trying to kill me!

TODFELD appears at the window now, the gun back in his hands. He fires it down at them wildly. Grabbing Callie by the arm Chance practically drags her down the steps as the gunfire rips up the City Hall steps inches behind them, and CITIZENS scatter every which way screaming in terror, and they just barely make it behind the hitched-up NEWS VAN. JAKE, for his part, crawls back underneath the van as Todfeld furiously shoots it up, damaging it even further!

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY

Just down the street are BURKE and MURRAY, currently buying ice cream. Hearing all the screaming, they turn and look back in the direction of City Hall as an ENFORCER SEDAN swings around the corner and speeds towards the commotion.

MURRAY What the heck's goin' on back there?!

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

The gunfire finally stops. JAKE pops his head out from underneath the VAN and looks at CHANCE and CALLIE. We can hear the siren of the other approaching Enforcer vehicles.

JAKE Now what?!

CHANCE Help's on the way! C'mon!

They three get up and run across the street, towards Chance and Jake's parked ENFOCER SEDAN. TODFELD, seeing what they're headed for, shifts his aim and fires the mini-missile launcher on his gun, sending a missile through the air which strikes and blows up the car. Chance, Jake and Callie are all knocked backwards off their feet by the explosion, and Jake's hat flies off.

Todfeld is about to finish them off when he notices the incoming SECOND ENFORCER SEDAN, and turns and fires at it. The missile hits the hood and blows off the front of the car completely. The now half-a-car flips over and erupts in a big fireball.

CHANCE Whoa! Okay, now this guy is makin' me mad!

He pulls his sidearm and fires up at Todfeld who ducks back into the office to avoid it. Chance and Jake and Callie return to the relative safety of the battered-up NEWS VAN still hitched to the TOW TRUCK.

JAKE Got a plan?

CHANCE Well, either we hold out here and hope we get lucky....

JAKE Or....?

Chance peers around the corner of the van and nearly has his face burned off by laser-fire.

CHANCE Or we can escape with our lives!

CALLIE This all the Deputy Mayor's doing! That crazy weirdo up in my office works for him!

JAKE Who are you, anyway?

CALLIE District Attorney Briggs.

They blink in surprise.

JAKE Well then we gotta get you outta here! Chance, you drive!

He jumps up and runs.

CHANCE Drive? Drive WHAT?

Todfeld rushes out the front of the building, glowering, and, hearing an engine start, he turns in time to see......the tow truck drive away, pulling the Kat's Eye News van behind it! Some of the already terrified bystanders cry out in alarm at his ghastly appearance.

BURKE and MURRAY come running up, Burke with an ice cream cone in either hand, and they unknowingly stop and stand right next to Todfeld as the BLACK SEDAN from before comes speeding up, followed closely by a SECOND BLACK SEDAN.

BURKE Hey! Murray! They're stealin' our truck!

The tow truck turns a corner and disappears from sight. Todfeld growls and runs to the first black sedan. Each car contains a THUG DRIVER and THREE MORE THUGS. Todfeld snarls and points after the retreating tow truck. The driver nods and floors it and both sedans then peel off and zoom down the street.

Burke and Murray stand watching them go.

MURRAY Who were those guys?

Burke shrugs and eats his ice cream. Suddenly they hear the sound of whirring helicopter blades. A BLACK HELICOPTER swings around the corner of the building and lowers down towards the street. LEONARD is flying it, with ALBERT sitting in back with a laser-tommygun. Todfeld climbs inside and the chopper lifts up.

EXT. CITY STREET "C" - DAY

The chase is on! The TOW TRUCK pulling the NEWS VAN careens down the street with the TWO BLACK SEDANS gaining. In the tow truck, CHANCE grips the steering wheel, straining. He seems be having some difficulty keeping control of the decidedly unwieldy vehicle.

There aren't that many cars on this street, but despite his best efforts the truck veers a little too far to the left while he's trying to pass another CAR, and accidentally sideswipes the vehicle! It spins around before coming to a halt facing the other way, the DRIVER and PASSENGER inside dazed but okay.

CHANCE Ahhh! Jeez!

He leans out the window.

CHANCE Sorry!

He leans back inside and tries to get the truck under control. JAKE is in the passenger's seat, CALLIE between him and Chance. Jake is watching in the sideview mirror as the two sedans pass the car that Chance sideswiped and begin coming up behind them.

CHANCE This thing handles like crud! And it doesn't help that we're haulin' that dead weight back there!

The sedans, until now driving single file, split. The first one goes around the passenger's side of the tow truck; the second one comes around he driver's side. Chance sees it in his mirror.

In the first car, the a THUG pops out of the driver's side rear window, laser pistol in hand, and fires. Jake's sideview mirror is blasted off. Rolling the window down and gripping his own pistol tightly, he leans out, facing behind them, and returns fire! His lasers bounce off the sedan's hood.

The other sedan decides to play a little Ben-Hur action, and, speeding up, comes right up alongside the tow truck, and swerves towards it, ramming into it! Then a second time! Chance turns the wheel and rams it right back!

CHANCE So why do these guys want you dead, anyway, Miss Briggs?

CALLIE I had some photographs, given me to me by--

The sedan rams them again, jolting the entire vehicle.

CALLIE --Aahhh! By a Kat's Eye News cameraman!

Jake is listening even as he fires back at the other pursuing sedan.

JAKE That would be Ann Gora's, I guess!

CALLIE Ann Gora?

CHANCE Yeah. She was kidnapped by the jokers that're currently trying to make us eat asphalt!

CHANCE What exactly was IN those photos, Miss Briggs?

CALLIE Some kind of foundry where these guys were melting down gold bars. And please, call me Callie.

JAKE That would be the ones stolen from the Megakat Mint last night, I'll bet.

They're rammed into again, this time by the first car. Callie clings to Jake. Chance glances over and frowns.

CALLIE Yes, most likely.

JAKE Then Ann Gora must've been onto something really big!

CALLIE Especially with the Deputy Mayor involved!

The driver of the second car swerves and hits the tow truck with everything his car's got. Chance yells and Jake does all he can to avoid flying out the window as the tow truck is sent careening wildly to the right, up onto the tree-lined sidewalk.

Amazingly, the whole thing, including the news van it's pulling, manages to pass between the trees rather than hitting them. Chance swerves left to avoid hitting a store front, and is now driving on the sidewalk! PEDESTRIANS scatter in all directions, Chance honking his horn.

CHANCE Get outta the way, people! C'mon, move!

Jake and Callie's conversation continues despite all this. The tow truck is plowing through lamp posts, vending stalls, signs, etc., the sedan that rammed them off the road keeping pace with them on the other side of the rapidly whizzing-by trees, the second right behind.

JAKE What's the Deputy Mayor got to do with all of this?

CALLIE I've suspected him of being corrupt for about a year now. But I've never been able to get any hard evidence on him.

CHANCE Well you must've hit close to home, if his boys are trying this hard to kill you.

Up ahead he sees an intersection. The line of trees, thankfully, does not go around the block.

CHANCE Hang on. We're gonna be makin' a hard turn up here!

The tow truck serves around the corner, the back end flying to the left. Chance barely keeps control, and it's a miracle that the news van doesn't go flying off! The second sedan misses the turn and screeches to a halt. The first does not miss the turn, however, and follows the tow truck as the other one burns rubber going backwards rapidly.

EXT. CITY STREET "D"

The TOW TRUCK weaves back and forth wildly. With the NEWS VAN being pulled along behind it, it kind of looks like a train!

CHANCE That's it. We've got to get rid of that van!

JAKE But the switch is--

CHANCE Yeah, I know! Just keep 'em off me! Hey, Callie, take the wheel!

CALLIE What?!

But Chance is already opening the driver's side door! Callie grabs the wheel and slides into the driver's seat.

CALLIE Who are you guys, anyway?

JAKE Oh, I'm Jake Clawson. That's my partner, Chance Furlong, currently climbing out of the speeding truck....

In the FIRST BLACK SEDAN, the THUGS watch, puzzled.

THUG 1 What's he doin'?

THUG 2 He's nuts!

The THUG DRIVER floors it, pulling alongside as Chance is climbing out onto the side of the tow truck and inching his way towards the back. He looks over his shoulder at the thugs in the sedan. A thug pops out of the back window with a gun in his hand, but Chance, keeping his grip tight, lifts one foot and deftly kicks the weapon out of his hand!

With a yelp, the thug quickly ducks back inside the car. The driver rams into the truck, and Chance almost falls off, but manages to reach his destination; he climbs into the bed of the truck, the towed news van in front of him.

The SECOND SEDAN finally made the turn and is gaining. Jake, leaning out the passenger window, fires on it. Thugs leaning out of the windows return fire. Chance finds and pulls the switch. The winch lowers the news van's front wheels on the ground, and its weight causes the space between it and the tow truck to widen, until the chain attached to the hook on the bumper snaps!

This results in three things happening.

One, Chance falls backwards against the back of the truck cab as a result of the initial jolt caused by the chain breaking.

Two, with its burden now gone, the tow truck begins moving at a considerably faster pace.

And three, the thugs in the second sedan, which had been driving directly behind the tow truck so as to avoid Jake's gunfire, now find themselves rushing towards the unmoving news van.

The thugs all yell, and the thug driver hits the brakes, but it's too late. Their sedan slams into the back of the Kat's Eye News van, and flies through it, destroying it like tissue paper, before overturning in midair. It hits the street on its side and goes skidding, leaving a trail of sparks.

Up ahead is parked an ENFORCER SEDAN. In it are none other than JABLONSKY and LYMAN, having coffee and donuts.

ENFORCER'S VOICE (through the radio)  
Attention all units! Attention all units! Out-of-control vehicle, tow truck, last seen headed south! They are being pursued by two black sedans! I repeat, two black sedans! All units, respond!

Jablonsky, at the wheel, starts the motor up, then he and Lyman see the tow truck speeding towards them! Still riding on the back of the tow truck, Chance sees them and waves. It rockets past them, and they turn their heads to watch it go, then look at one another. Jablonsky floors it, turning around to go and follow them, but just as the Enforcer car is pointed in the right direction, the first sedan slams into the back of it. Jablonsky and Lyman yell as their car is shoved out of the and slams, back-end-first, against a parked truck.

CHANCE Ouch, that had to hurt.

He laughs. Then looks up, hearing the "thup-thup-thup-thup" of whirling helicopter blades. Callie looks in the sideview mirror and sees the BLACK HELICOPTER bearing down on them. TODFELD leans out the open side door, grenade launcher in hand. Without hesitating his fires! Callie swerves and the street explodes a few feet away in a shower of asphalt.

CHANCE Whoa!

An ENFORCER CHOPPER, headed in the opposite direction, flies over the enemy helicopter.

ENFORCER PILOT What the heck was that?!

ENFORCER CO-PILOT Go after 'em!

The Enforcer chopper turns and follows them.

The tow truck zooms towards the Megakat Tunnel, where traffic has congested at the tollbooths, and Callie drives up onto the divider and smashes through a tollbooth, the startled GUARD leaping aside just in time. Behind them, the THUG DRIVER spins the wheel wildly and slams sideways into the back ends of several stopped cars.

Watching from the helicopter, Todfeld growls and taps LEONARD on the shoulder, pointing at the tunnel. Leonard nods, and pushes the stick forwards. ALBERT covers his eyes. The chopper nosedives and goes right into the tunnel.

INT. MEGAKAT TUNNEL

The TOW TRUCK zooms along swiftly. Still riding on the back, CHANCE gawps at the onrushing HELICOPTER.

CHANCE Holy kats these guys are really persistent!

LEONARD hits his searchlight. ALBERT fires at the tow truck with a laser-tommygun. The tunnel is just wide enough for the chopper, although if it tilts too far to either side the tips of the rotor blades scrape the walls, leaving sparks.

Albert scores a hit on the back tire. CALLIE loses control and spins the wheel and drives into oncoming traffic briefly. Several CARS swerve to avoid her, hitting the tunnel walls. She manages to regain control and get back into the right lane.

EXT. MEGAKAT CITY - CITY STREET "E"

The TOW TRUCK shoots out of the tunnel, The BLACK HELICOPTER right behind it. The ENFORCER CHOPPER appears over the top of the tunnel and flies alongside the other copter. One of the pilots gets on the loudspeaker. LEONARD looks over.

ENFORCER CO-PILOT'S VOICE (over the loudspeaker)  
Unidentified aircraft! Cease your action at once and follow us back to Enforcer Headquarters!

TODFELD growls and aims the grenade launcher at the Enforcer chopper and fires. The other helicopter explodes in a gigantic fireball that flies down and crashes through the front window of a department store, sending scores of BYSTANDERS scattering.

CALLIE I think I can lose him in Megakat Park.

JAKE Lose him where--?!

Callie suddenly spins the wheel, and the tow truck turns heads towards a large open gate whose sign reads "MEGAKAT PARK." The truck speeds through it.

CHANCE Going into the park, is she crazy?!

Just as the truck disappears into the gate, Todfeld's chopper banks past. Leonard turns the craft around and flies over the gate and the trees.

EXT. MEGAKAT PARK - DAY

The TOW TRUCK flies off the top of some steep stone steps leading down into the park proper. It hits them in the middle, bounces, and then it's a very bumpy ride right to the bottom. CHANCE clinges tenacious to the back of the cab, CALLIE gripping the wheel with grim determination. JAKE, beside her, loses his gun out the window.

At the bottom is a gravel pathway. The tow truck hits it and goes speeding off down it. JOGGERS and FAMILIES visiting the park all stay well and clear of the intrusive vehicle. The black sedan is right behind it. A path meant for walking, it is barely big enough for the sedan, let alone the tow truck! A FEMALE JOGGER leaps to avoid the tow truck.

The HELICOPTER swoops low over the trees, coming down right behind them, ALBERT firing with his laser-tommygun. Angrily TODFELD grabs the weapon from him and starts shooting it himself. Callie looks back at the pursuing chopper, and notices too late a BICYCLE RIDER right in front of her.

JAKE Hey, watch out!

Callie turns, sees the cyclist, and gasps, but can do nothing. The unfortunate kat winds up on the tow truck's hood, cracking the windshield with his head, his bike crushed under the wheels as the truck drives over it. Watching from his chopper, Todfeld grins and decides to make his move, and fires, hitting the other rear tire of the tow truck.

Callie loses control, and the truck is forced off the path, and drives right into a lake, landing with a mighty splash. Chance is thrown off to the side in the process. The cyclist is thrown forwards off the hood.

The truck quickly begins sinking. Callie opens the door and swims out. Chance, luckily, landed where the water is only neck deep. He and Callie swim to shore.

Todfeld taps LEONARD on the shoulder, pointing. Leonard gives a thumbs-up and then circles back around towards the lake. It lands, rotor wash stirring up picnics and sending hats flying, and Todfeld gets out and walks to the edge of the lake, followed by Albert.

Nearby, the tow truck upends and goes down entirely. Chance looks back.

CHANCE Jake!

But Jake pops up from under the where the truck went down. Seeing his partner is all right, Chance turns back to Todfeld, and goes for his gun. He his punched in the face by Todfeld, and barely has time to recover from that before being kicked, falling backwards into the water. Albert then grabs Callie and begins dragging her towards the waiting chopper. Todfeld grunts and fixes his tie, then follows.

Jake watches this, and, gritting his teeth angrily, starts for shore to intervene, only to hear some weak splashing. He looks behind him. It's the cyclist. He's floundering about in the water, going under, then coming back up.

CYCLIST Hey! H-Help!

Jake looks at him, then back at the shore where he sees Chance trying to recover, and Callie being forced into the helicopter. With little other choice, he turns and swims over to the cyclist, grabbing him. Onshore, Todfeld and Albert get Callie into the chopper, which then lifts off. Chance wades ashore, coughing and sputtering, standing there and watching them drive off.

JAKE Hey, Chance, gimme a hand with this guy, will ya?

Turning, Chance sees Jake with the cyclist, and helps both of them ashore. The cyclist is barely conscious, but alive, lying on the grass as Jake has a seat beside him. Chance shakes himself off angrily.

JAKE (dejectedly)  
They got away...

CHANCE Thanks for pointing out the obvious. And where were YOU, anyway?

Jake scowls, suddenly angry.

JAKE What was I supposed to do? Let this guy drown??

Chance looks instantly chastened, as though the idea of drowning hits a little too close to home.

CHANCE No, no you're right, buddy. You did the right thing.

He sits down alongside Jake, drawing his knees to his chest and hugging them as they hear the sound of approaching sirens.

JAKE The Lieutenant's gonna be spittin' nails.

Chance just shakes his head.

CHANCE Some traffic duty.... 


	7. Chapter 7

ACT III

EXT. MEGAKAT PARK - DAY

The park is crawling with ENFORCERS, mostly COMMANDOES now that the stakes have been raised, so to speak. The injured CYCLIST, head bandaged, is being loaded into the back of an AMBULANCE while a CRANE fishes the TOW TRUCK out of the lake by the back bumper. We pan over to the gravel pathway where CHANCE and JAKE, now a little more dried off, are talking to the ENFORCER SERGEANT. We can't hear what they're saying (all they're doing is explaining what just got done happening, anyway). The Sergeant is nodding and writing on a little notepad.

As they're talking, FERAL comes walking up from offscreen, looking extraordinarily angry.

JAKE Here comes trouble with a capital "T."

The Sergeant steps out of the way for Feral as he comes storming up to the them, gritting his teeth.

FERAL I've just come from City Hall. The Commander is furious! All you had to do was investigate an illegally parked van! And now look what's happened! You've destroyed half the city!

Chance tries to speak up.

CHANCE It wasn't our fault, Lieutenant! We--

FERAL Shut up! I don't want to hear it! Seven dead, five vehicles completely destroyed, three of them Enforcers, and untold amounts of property damage! We'll be lucky if we don't half of Megakat City lining up to sue us! And on today of all possible days!

SERGEANT Lieutenant....

FERAL What?!

SERGEANT I really think you ought to hear what they have to say.

Feral crosses his arms indignantly, and scowls, but appears to heed the Sergeant's advice.

FERAL All right. You two have got one chance to convince me that there's a darn good reason for all of this.

Chance steps forwards, but Jake holds him back a bit.

JAKE Chance, let me handle this.

Feral smirks a bit.

FERAL That might be a good idea.

Chance glares up at the taller kat, but says nothing. Jake begins explaining things.

JAKE It was the same guys who kidnapped Ann Gora, sir. Or at least they were from the same gang. They were trying to kill the D.A., and the only way we could save her was to get out of there as quickly as possible. They just followed us is all.

FERAL The same ones who kidnapped Ann Gora?

Jake nods and there's a pause. Feral looks like he's wrestling with himself in his mind, remembering the Commander's earlier decree that they weren't to involve themselves in that particular investigation. However....

FERAL All right, you've got my attention. Tell me more. And tell me everything!

EXT. CITY HALL - DAY

Chance and Jake's blown-up ENFORCER SEDAN is still smouldering as FIRE FIGHTERS spray it with extinguishers. The OTHER SEDAN, no longer smoking but a burned-out hulk, is being pushed out of the way by BURKE and MURRAY on a BULLDOZER, so as to clear the path for traffic, specifically the MAYOR'S LIMO. Once the way is clear, it pulls around and parks out front. MAYOR MANX, wearing golfing clothes and carrying a golf club, doesn't even wait for his chauffeur to get out and open the door for him; he doesn't even bother closing the door as he storms angrily up the steps.

INT. CITY HALL - LOBBY

DEPUTY MAYOR BALCUS is talking to COMMANDER ASHLAND, who is flanked by STEELE.

BALCUS I thought I told you that no Enforcers were to handle anything involving Ann Gora! Especially not those two from last night!

ASHLAND I'm sorry, sir! The guard who phoned it in didn't specify it was a Kat's Eye News van! Anyway, it was Steele who sent them, not me.

Balcus turns to Steele, who holds his hands up defensively.

STEELE Don't pin this on me! I don't even know what this is all about! Far be it from me to agree with Lieutenant Feral, Commander, but I'm still fuzzy on precisely why we're just sitting around doing nothing.

Ashland glares at him.

ASHLAND Shut up, Steele. This is none of your business. Your job is to follow the orders I give you, not to think.

Steele gives a great, heaving sigh.

STEELE Yes sir....

Ashland and Balcus turn back to one another and are about to resume talking when--

MANX'S VOICE (offscreen)  
Godfrey!!!

They turn and see MAYOR MANX in the doorway.

BALCUS (quietly)  
Just what we need....

ASHLAND (quietly)  
You said he was playing golf and we wouldn't have to deal with him until--

He shuts up as Manx storms close enough to overhear them. He doesn't seem to be aware of their little pow-wow at the moment, and appears to just think they were waiting for him to arrive. He's gripping his golf club tightly, as though strangling it, or perhaps ready to beat someone's head in with it. We've never, ever seen Manx this angry before.

MANX Claude.....why does the front of my City Hall look like a warzone?!

Balcus looks a trifle nervous, having never seen the Mayor so angry.

BALCUS Um, well, it appears as though some terrorist gang members hoping to stop the 200th Anniversary celebration attacked the building, sir.

Manx now holds his golf club in one hand, and takes off his cap....and his toupee with it! Balcus, Ashland and Steele all gasp, wide-eyed, but Manx doesn't seem to notice.

MANX What?! Why those fiends! I'll be dead before I see some hoodlums ruin ANY celebration honoring MY city! Commander Ashland!

Ashland and Steele both snap to attention. Balcus discretely makes a grab for Manx's toupee, pulling it out of the hat in Manx's head. The Mayor doesn't notice.

MANX I want these criminals hunted down at once! If they attacked here, then they'll almost certainly attack the Deputy Mayor's house, where the REAL party is being held! Do you understand me?

Ashland nods.

ASHLAND Yes, Mr. Mayor!

MANX Good. You've been slipping up lately, Commander. If you don't catch these terrorists, whoever they are, and soon, then you might as well start looking in the want ads!

He jabs Ashland in the stomach with the nine iron (but not very hard). Ashland swallows nervously.

ASHLAND Y-Yes, Mr. Mayor....

Balcus very carefully places the toupee on Manx's head before the Mayor notices it's gone, and then Manx obliviously puts his hat back on. Balcus breathes a sigh of relief.

MANX Good! Now then, Claude, since my golf game has been completely ruined...

He stalks off. Balcus pats Ashland on the shoulder.

BALCUS (quietly)  
Stop being so nervous. He's just too angry to forget who really runs this city.

Ashland nods.

MANX Claude!

BALCUS Coming, sir!

He whispers to Ashland.

BALCUS (quietly)  
Handle this!

Turning, he walks after the Mayor. Ashland sighs. Steele looks confused.

STEELE Why didn't you mention the D.A. being kidnapped?

ASHLAND What? Oh, because, well, you saw how angry he was! No sense making him any angrier. What we--er, that is, the Deputy Mayor and I, need right now is for Manx to be as cheerful as possible for the party tonight. It's your job to find those terrorists!

STEELE (stammering)  
Buh-but they could be anywh--

ASHLAND So what? Be creative! Pin it on someone else! And remember what I told you about thinking! Now, get down to Megakat Park and fire those two idiots Furson and Clawlong!

Steele blinks, but then nods and heads off. As he goes, he smirks to himself, getting an idea.

STEELE (to himself)  
Furlong and Clawson, huh? I think you two boys are going to be more than just fired. I think.....that I may have found the Commander's "terrorists" after all. Heh-heh-heh.

EXT. MEGAKAT PARK - DAY

Feral is pacing back and forth, arms folded behind his back.

FERAL If even one bit of what you're saying is true, then this means the Deputy Mayor is really the head of the biggest criminal gang in the city after the Manges. Frankly, it sounds more than a little far-fetched. What does he have to gain from any of this.

JAKE I wish I could say, sir, but we're just telling you what Callie--uh, what the D.A. told us.

FERAL I'm just going to need something in the way of actual proof before I can even bring this up to Commander Ashland.

CHANCE Didn't she say she had the photos are her office?

Feral hmms and looks at the ENFORCER SERGEANT.

FERAL Sergeant?

SERGEANT Negative, Lieutenant. The District Attorney's office was shot up quite badly. If there were any photos they would've most likely either been destroyed or taken by the assailants.

Feral sighs, and then STEELE appears over a nearby hilltop and starts down, followed by JABLONSKY and LYMAN.

STEELE You two!

Feral steps forward.

FERAL I already got done reaming them, sir, and I think there's something you ought to--

STEELE (cutting him off)  
Not now.

He walks up to Chance and Jake.

STEELE You two are under arrest! Not to mention fired!

They gawk.

JAKE What?! Oh, look, Steele, I know we caused a lot of damage--

STEELE This isn't about that. Commander Ashland thinks you two were in with the kidnappers, and that you "helped" the D.A. to make it easier for them to abduct her!

CHANCE That's a lie! We busted our butts tryin' to save her! And for your information, SIR, if ANYONE is "in" on the whole thing it's that creep Balcus!

STEELE The Deputy Mayor? Don't make me laugh.

Feral steps forward.

FERAL It's true, sir!

Steele eyes him.

FERAL Well....at least, that's what they said the District Attorney told them.

STEELE You see? How can we believe them?

He turns to Jablonsky and Lyman.

STEELE Cuff 'em.

JABLONSKY With pleasure, sir.

They immediately seize them and cuff them. or, Jake at least. Lyman is having some difficulty with Chance when Feral puts a hand on Chance's shoulder.

FERAL There's no use resisting, Furlong. Save it for later. I'll get this matter cleared up.

He turns and looks at Steele, but continues talking to Chance.

FERAL And I'll get it cleared up if it's the last thing I do.

Steele glares. Chance allows Lyman to cuff him, and then he and Jake are led away through the park. Steele just scoffs at Feral, then turns and follows them. The Sergeant comes over to stand beside Feral, looking deeply troubled.

SERGEANT Sir, this doesn't--

FERAL I know. There's no sense rocking the boat now. Not with Steele, anyway.

SERGEANT Do you think he'll tell the Commander?

FERAL About what? The Deputy Mayor? Not on your life. But I will.

EXT. PARK ENTRANCE - DAY

CHANCE and JAKE are led to a waiting ENFORCER SEDAN by JABLONSKY and LYMAN. Chance pretends to almost fall, leaning back against Lyman. We see his fingers fumbling on Lyman's belt and grabbing the handcuff keys, but Lyman doesn't notice. He angrily gives Chance a shove.

LYMAN Get off me!

They roughly stick them in the backseat of the car. Jablonsky goes around and gets behind the wheel. Lyman is opening the passenger's side door when STEELE comes up. Chance discretely uses the keys to unlock his handcuffs.

STEELE When you get back to Headquarters, they go straight to lockup for now.

LYMAN Yes sir.

Chance, freed, lunges for the driver's side door and pulls it shut, locking it.

LYMAN Hey!

He tries the door, tugging on the handle. Inside, Jablonsky turns, blinking, and Chance grabs him by the scruff and makes him get out, sending him sprawling on the ashphalt. The keys are already in the ignition so all Chance has to do is climb over the front seat, get behind the wheel, and start the motor up.

STEELE Stop them!

Chance hits the gas and speeds off as Jablonsky gets to his feet, Lyman letting go of the door handle, leaving them and Steele in the dust.

CHANCE Here!

He tosses the handcuff keys back to Jake, who unlocks himself.

JAKE Soon as we can, we gotta ditch this thing.

CHANCE Roger that. And then what?

JAKE Hmm. Well, obviously we have to rescue Callie and Ann Gora. AND find out exactly what it is that Balcus is up to. And I think I know a good place to start.... 


	8. Chapter 8

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - DAY

Balcus' BLACK LIMOUSINE comes up the gravel driveway. Some WORKERS are busy fixing the front gate. GROUNDSKEEPERS are in the process of cleaning up the yard; raking away leaves and clearing fallen tree branches. GARDENERS are snipping away weeds close to the house. A couple of OTHER WORKERS are hanging a banner over the front door, reading, in red lettering on a purple background, "MEGAKAT 200TH!"

The limo parks, and the CHAUFFEUR gets out and opens the door for BALCUS, who gets out and walks around the front, glancing about and smiling at all the work being done. He enters the mansion.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - MAIN HALL

Now that it is daytime we can see the huge main hall of the mansion. Lined by columns with a marble floor, currently being scrubbed by some SERVANTS, it features (in addition to the party decorations being put up) very large tapestries depicting the same "D" insignia seen on the front gate and on the grandfather clock.

Balcus smiles and enters a room off the main hall.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - BALLROOM

BALCUS enters a huge ballroom, even bigger than the main hall, with giant windows overlooking the gorge. This place too has been decorated. There is a long table covered with a white cloth, with seats for ten on one side only, facing the main floor, situated beneath another pair of huge "D" banners.

We can see kats we recognize as THUGS from earlier scenes, putting on waiters' uniforms; one is even dressed in a doorman's uniform. Balcus looks them over, fixes one's tie, adjusts another's posture, etc. Then he goes over to a buffet table with lots of food on it, whose centerpiece is a pyramid of wineglasses. Next to them are several bottles of wine. Balcus picks one up and inspects it, smirking a bit.

TODFELD enters, unlike the other thugs still in his regular outfit, and goes over to Balcus. Turning, Balcus sets the bottle back down and leans down as Todfeld whispers something in his ear. He grins. MAYOR MANX, in a tux, is standing over by the windows, notices this exchange.

BALCUS Excellent! Have her brought to the dining room.

Todfeld nods, turns on heel and walks off. Manx walks over.

MANX The guests will be arriving soon, Claude.

Balcus nods.

MANX You're doing a splendid job so far, I have to say!

He clears his throat, then leans in close, eyes on the departing Todfeld.

MANX (quietly)  
By the way, I don't mean to pry, but what exactly's wrong with your man there? He looks positively ill!

BALCUS A touch of the flu only. Now, Mayor, if you'll excuse me, I prefer to eat alone. I'll join you when the guests begin arriving.

Manx nods, and Balcus exits.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

The rear of Darkhaven as seen through a pair of binoculars. CHANCE and JAKE are on a thickly-wooded ridge overlooking both the gorge and the mansion (on the mansion's side of the gorge). Jake is the one with the binoculars.

JAKE I don't see a lot of guards. It looks like everybody is doing yardwork.

CHANCE What's that down there?

JAKE Where?

Chance points.

CHANCE About fifty feet down. On the side of the gorge.

JAKE The side....?

He pans the binoculars down, and spies a large, narrow cliff/outcropping below the edge of the cliff. Todfeld's HELICOPTER sits parked on a landing pad there. Two THUGS with laser-tommyguns are guarding it. Behind them is a large set of doors built right into the rock wall.

JAKE Whoa. He's got a secret helipad and everything!

CHANCE So how do we get in, smart guy? I've got this feelin' my way of doin' things just ain't gonna cut it here.

Jake lowers the binoculars from his face and looks at him.

JAKE You mean rush in and shoot everything in sight? Yeah. I really don't think that's gonna work in this situation. There's gotta be way more guards inside than out. If Balcus even suspects we're here, we'll be captured or worse before we even get in.

Chance nods.

CHANCE All right, well, if I was gonna sneak in, it'd be from the other side of the house.

JAKE What, the one actually bordering the gorge?

CHANCE Yeah. It's so suicidal they'd never expect anybody to come in that way.

Jake sighs.

JAKE Suicidal is right!

EXT. DARKHAVEN - CLIFFSIDE

CHANCE and JAKE are edging their way through the trees along the edge of the cliff towards the back of the house. Occasionally, they'll glance down. Apart from the cliff with the helipad, it appears to be thousands of feet straight to the bottom.

CHANCE Who builds a mansion right next to a cliff anyway?

JAKE Yeah, I doubt he gets too many visitors from Better Homes and Gardens...

Jake unknowling knocks a pine cone off the edge, and it falls down towards--

EXT. GORGE - SECRET HELIPAD

The two THUGS are guarding the parked HELICOPTER when suddenly the pine cone hits one of them on the head.

THUG 1 Ow!

He looks up, but his point of view doesn't allow him to actually see Chance and Jake.

THUG 2 What's wrong...?

THUG 1 A pinecone fell on me.

The other thug shrugs indifferently.

THUG 2 That's what they do, numbskull.

INT. ENFORCER HEADQUARTERS - COMMANDER'S OFFICE

STEELE is helping COMMANDER ASHLAND put on a dinner jacket in front of a full-length mirror. The jacket has his rank epaulettes on the shoulders; the only indication that he's an Enforcer in this getup.

STEELE I don't see why I can't come.

ASHLAND Because. I need someone competent holding down the fort while I'm away. Goodness knows that idiot Feral can't do it.

Steele nods. The door opens and FERAL enters.

ASHLAND Ah, Feral. Unannounced again. We were just talking about you.

FERAL Why did you have Furlong and Clawson arrested? What makes you think they had anything to do with the D.A. being kidnapped? They're troublemakers, not terrorists!

Calmly adjusting his bowtie, Ashland turns to him.

ASHLAND I had them detained for questioning, only. Steele got a little overzealous is all. It's not my fault they decided to flee, thus making themselves fugitives.

FERAL Then I suppose Steele didn't mention to you that Briggs told them that Balcus was really the one behind all of this.

ASHLAND All of what?

FERAL The kidnappings, the robberies, all of it!

Ashland looks a bit unnerved, and eyes Steele. Then he regains his cool. But Feral noticed his momentary lapse.

FERAL I get it now.

ASHLAND Get what?

He turns back to Feral. Steele eyes them, mental gears turning.

FERAL No wonder you let those two hoods walk, you--

ASHLAND (cutting him off)  
If I were you, Liuetenant, I would choose my next words very, very carefully. You have a very promising career in the Enforcers, and I'd hate to see you throw it away by involving yourself in affairs that are none of your concern. Now, excuse me. I have a party to get to.

He heads for the door.

ASHLAND Steele will show you out.

Exiting, he shuts the door, leaving Steele and Feral alone in the office. Feral whirls to Steele.

FERAL Listen to me, Steele. I know you don't like me, and I don't like you either, but you've got to believe me, that Ashland is in on this somehow.

STEELE Oh, I believe you, all right.

Feral blinks, watching as Steele goes around Ashland's desk, and has a seat in his chair!

FERAL What are you doing?

STEELE Fulfilling my duty as Lieutenant Commander, and becoming acting Commander in the event that the regular Commander becomes incapacitated. If Ashland is indeed in with the Deputy Mayor as you say.....then he's no longer fit to be our Commander.

Feral frowns.

STEELE Go and arrest him.

FERAL Now you're talking sense!

He turns to leave.

STEELE Wait until he gets to the party, though. I want him arrested in front of all his high society friends. Make it as humiliating as possible.

He chuckles darkly. Feral looks disgusted and shakes his head.

FERAL You knew, didn't you? You deliberately avoided telling him about what Briggs said just so he'd slip up. You're slime, Steele.

With that he turns and walks out. Steele gets comfy in the chair.

STEELE (to himself)  
Well, Steeley, old boy....you're on your way to the top NOW.

INT. DARKHAVEN - DINING ROOM

BALCUS is seated at the head of the table. The pizza and takeout eaten by the thugs before has been removed and everything tidied up. A nakpkin tucked into his shirt collar, the Deputy Mayor is nonchalantly having dinner, TODFELD standing beside him, holding a tea tray. LEONARD hovers in the corner.

Balcus looks up with interest as CALLIE is brought in by ALBERT, who rather forcibly makes her sit down and takes her purse from her, throwing it down onto the tabletop.

BALCUS No violence, now, Albert. Miss Briggs is our guest.

CALLIE Some "guest!" Keeping me here against my will!

BALCUS Only temporarily. That is, provided you cooperate.

He resumes eating. Callie reaches for her purse, but Albert grabs it away from her.

CALLIE (indignant)  
I was just getting my lipstick.

ALBERT (skeptical)  
Sure. First, I'm gonna check for nail files.

He sneers and begins digging around in the purse. Suddenly there is a loud zapping sound.

ALBERT Yipe--!!!

Albert goes rigid, then collapses face-first onto the lab with a loud rattle of dishes and doesn't move. Callie sighs. Balcus barely looks up from his meal.

CALLIE What do you want with me? What did you mean by "if I cooperate?"

Balcus smiles and, finished eating, takes out the napkin from his collar. He gives a motion to Todfeld who leaves the room. After he's gone the Deputy Mayor stands and walks around the table, pausing to pull off the unconscious Albert, who thuds noisily to the floor. He then upends Callie's purse, dumping the contest onto the tabletop, including her taser gun. This he takes.

BALCUS You're very resourceful young woman, Miss Briggs. Although thus far, I think you've gotten by purely on luck. And right now it appears as if your luck is beginning to run out. So if I were you...I'd listen very carefully to what I had to say.

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - EVENING

The sun has begun setting and the sky is a dull orange color. The fountain has been turned on and is sprinkling water. Several LIMOUSINES and LUXURY CARS arrive, pulling up to the door. The THUG dressed as DOORMAN opens the back door of each vehicle, and out get various V.I.P.s dressed in their evening best.

One of the cars is an ENFORCER SEDAN IN COMMANDER-ISSUE COLORS. When the doorman opens its door, COMMANDER ASHLAND gets out.

Balcus' CHAUFFEUR remains by the BLACK LIMO in the motorpool, giving the hood a good waxdown. CHANCE and JAKE sneak past him, using the parked limo and SILVER SUV as cover. He thinks he hears something, turns. They freeze, hidden behind the limo. He shrugs and goes back to work. They sigh and continue, slipping into the garage.

Here, they find the battered BLACK SEDAN from the car chase.

CHANCE (whispering)  
Now at least we know we're in the right place!

They continue through the otherwise empty garage and enter the main building through a door they find.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALLWAY "B"

CHANCE and JAKE sneak along the hallway, towards the dining room door which is slightly ajar. They can hear voices. Motioning silently for his partner to follow, Jake creeps forwards to the door and peers in, Chance right behind him. Within, they see BALCUS, who has his back to them, still talking to CALLIE while LEONARD hovers over her menacingly. ALBERT is still lying on the floor behind his master.

JAKE (whispering)  
The Deputy Mayor! So Briggs was right!

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - DINING ROOM

BALCUS Manx is a fool. And so are the majority of this city's pitiful ruling class. Thus far you're the only one who has caught on to my dual identity. And not to sell myself short but only a complete idiot would be unable to see through my ruse.

He chuckles and walks around to stand beside CALLIE, smirking.

BALCUS I could use someone like you to replace those fools after tonight.

CALLIE Why? What happens tonight?

Balcus chuckles.

BALCUS Allow me to....enlighten you further.

Reaching into his pocket he removes a gold coin. He flips it, catches it, and then slams it down onto the table in front of Callie. When he removes his hand we see that the coin has his likeness on the front. Curious, Callie picks the coin up and examines the opposite side, which bears the stylized "D" symbol and the words "In Dark Kat We Trust."

CALLIE (reading)  
"In Dark Kat We Trust?" You've been stealing all of Megakat City's gold to...mint your own coins?

BALCUS Precisely. The new Megakat City is going to need new currency, after all. All of the city's key leaders are attending tonight's party. And the wine they'll be drinking is laced with an extremely fast-acting poison. A few sips are relatively harmless, but more than that will about instant death! So, you see, Miss Briggs, tonight they will raise a toast to the new Megakat City.....MY Megakat City! And there's nothing you can--

Before he can finish Callie grabs a steak knife from nearby and slams it into Balcus' hand, impaling it and pinning it to the table. He yells aloud in pain. Callie leaps up and runs around him as LEONARD lunges for her and misses. He begins attempting to help his boss as Callie runs for the door.

BALCUS Nevermind me! Stop her!

Leonard runs after Callie...and promptly trips over the unconscious body of ALBERT, falling to the floor.

CHANCE and JAKE suddenly burst in and grab Callie.

CALLIE You two! How did you--?

JAKE Nevermind that now, Miss Briggs! We've got to get out of here!

They turn to go but run smack into TODFELD. The green-furred cat growls and knocks Jake effortlessly aside. Chance throws a punch, but this seems to have to no effect except to enrage the undead thug. He grabs Chance by the throat and lifts him up off the floor. Chance gags and chokes, struggling. Jake gets up. So does Leonard.

JAKE Miss Briggs, get outta here! We can take care of ourselves!

CHANCE (raspy, choking)  
Yeah, right!

Callie rushes out of the room as Leonard dives for her, misses. At the dining table, Balcus struggles and grunts, grabbing the knife by the handle and with a wince, pulling it out, freeing his hand. He sighs in relief, then frowns, staring in dismay at his hand; the fur has begun to turn purple!

He leaves, walking past Todfeld who is still holding Chance by the throat and now also has Jake in a vicious headlock.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALLWAY "B"

Bursting from the dining room, CALLIE runs into none other than COMMANDER ASHLAND! He blinks, looking surprised, she moreso.

CALLIE Commander Ashland! Thank goodness you're here! Listen, Deputy Mayor Balcus is--

BALCUS (from behind her)  
--is what, Miss Briggs?

She turns to find BALCUS standing there, LEONARD behind him. He is clutching his wrist, his malformed purple-furred hand in plain view. Callie stares at it.

BALCUS Commander, do be so kind as to detain my guest.

Ashland nods and reaches inside his dinner jacket, removing a laser pistol which he points at Callie. When she turns back to face him, she finds the barrel sticking straight in her face.

BALCUS Ah, that was my own fault, I suppose. I got a little too carried away, didn't I?

There is a loud crash and CHANCE goes flying out of the dining room and slams into the far wall, then slides down in a heap.

CHANCE (pained)  
Ow...

TODFELD then comes out, holding a weakly struggling JAKE by the shirt collar.

ASHLAND Furson! Clawlong! What are you doing here?!

Balcus angrily turns to Ashland.

BALCUS I thought I told you to deal with them!!!

Callie uses this distraction to smack Ashland's pistol away. The Commander yelps and jumps back, and Callie stoops to grab the gun, only to be seized from behind by Balcus, who gets his arm around her. With his now-deformed right hand he holds a laser pistol of his own, and he turns to Chance and Jake. She struggles against him but he is too big and strong.

BALCUS Gentlemen, unless you desist immediately, then the District Attorney is going to have a very superfluous extra hole in her pretty little head.

Todfeld throws down Jake, who lands on his hands and knees, panting. He looks at Chance, who is sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. They both sigh and nod. Smirking, Todfeld comes over and grabs them both by their collars, hauling them to their feet roughly.

CHANCE Hey, take it easy!

Balcus chuckles. While this is going on, ALBERT emerges from the dining room, blinking stupidly and shaking his head.

ALBERT (groggy)  
What'd I miss...?

No one answers him. Instead, Callie can't help but stare at Balcus' hand.

CALLIE (disgusted)  
D-Deputy Mayor, y-you're hand...

BALCUS Ah, yes.

He examines it and frowns.

CALLIE Wh-What's wrong with it...?

BALCUS I'll show you. Bring them!

Signaling he turns and walks down the hall, handing Callie off to Leonard. 


	9. Chapter 9

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY

BALCUS and ASHLAND stand at one of the worktables, Balcus working on something as Ashland watches with a keen interest.

BALCUS I must say that was very touching. But all in vain. That's the trouble with you do-gooders. You care too much about other people. If you had an ounce of backbone, you would've let the idiotic she-kat get killed and then been able to defeat me.

Nearby, TODFELD is holding both CHANCE and JAKE at once, whilst CALLIE struggles against LEONARD. ALBERT stands uselessly nearby. Jake glares at Balcus with a barely-contained animalistic fury.

JAKE I'll NEVER make a choice that costs an innocent person their life....Dark Kat!

Balcus just smirks and shakes his head.

BALCUS Now then, I'm sure you're all probably wondering precisely what is wrong with Todfeld.

CHANCE The idea had crossed our minds...

Balcus chuckles and turns. His hand is still malformed and purple.

BALCUS He's an experiment, a rough sketch if you will. I've long been working on a means of cheating death so I would never have to fear assassins. So, by combining ancient dark arts taught to me by my ancestors with advanced science, I've been able to devise a means of coming back from the dead. Unfortunately depending on the severity of the injuries the body sustains, it tends to take a severe toll, as you can see. Poor Todfeld isn't...entirely successful.

JAKE So this, uh, spell or process or whatever...you used it on yourself?

Balcus nods.

BALCUS Yes. Luckily, this injury isn't too severe, so I ought to be able to...

He trails off, picking up a bottle containing green fluids. Mumbling an incantation he pours the bottle's contents onto his hand. Then he closes his eyes, grits his teeth, and concentrats. Very slowly, the fur of his hand turns from purple back to grey, and reverts to its original shape. Opening his eyes Balcus smiles and clenches and unclenches the hand.

BALCUS There, you see?

The others gawk at what they have just witnessed. Nearby Ashland picks up and examines a tall cylindrical tube filled with a purplish liquid, examining its contents; a small PINK REPTILIAN BAT CREATURE with its wings wrapped around itself. It is one of about two-dozen identical tubes sitting both on the lab table and lining shelves on the back wall.

CALLIE What are those things...?

BALCUS My city's future workforce. If I can cheat death, surely it must have occurred to you that I can create life as well? These brutes I'm using now have their purposes but I need a 100% obedient and reliable workforce to do the menial work.

He chuckles deepy, then checks his wristwatch.

BALCUS Oh my. It appears as if I'm expected upstairs shortly.

He addresses Leonard.

BALCUS Put her with the others and guard her.

LEONARD Yes sir!

He hauls the kicking and struggling Callie up the stairs. Balcus turns to Ashland.

BALCUS Kill them. Then change and come up to the ballroom.

Ashland nods. Balcus walks up to Chance and Jake.

BALCUS Goodnight, gentlemen. I hope you've had a pleasant stay in my humble home.

Without any more, he turns and trots up the stairs, followed by Todfeld and Albert and they exit the room. Chance and Jake look at one another.

CHANCE Well this is shaping up to be a fine rescue attempt....

Chuckling, Ashland trains a pistol on them.

ASHLAND I've been looking forward to this for a long time, Clawlong.

CHANCE Furlong! My name is Furlong!

ASHLAND Whatever, it doesn't make any difference.

Suddenly Chance's eyes go wide and he points at something behind the Commander.

CHANCE Hey, what's that?!

Ashland turns, wide-eyed.

ASHLAND Huh?!

Chance punches him in the stomach. Ashland doubles over in pain, the gun falling from his hand.

CHANCE THat's for bein' a traitor! And THIS is for never gettin' our names right!

He uppercuts Ashland sending the Commander stumbling backwards and into the pit. The lid bangs shut on him, trapping him.

ASHLAND (O.S)  
Let me out of here!

JAKE Wow, Chance, that was...

CHANCE Really clever?

He grins, stooping down and picking up Ashland's dropped gun.

JAKE I was gonna say really lame and desperate, but it got the job done. C'mon! We gotta go get Briggs!

CHANCE Now, buddy, it's time to do things MY way!

JAKE All right, all right! Let's go!

They turn and run back up the steps!

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - GOLD ROOM

CALLIE has joined ANN GORA and JONNY in the cage hanging over the gold vat. LEONARD paces the floor beneath them, looking bored. The door slowly creaks open, and CHANCE peeks in. Leonard hears this and looks over. Callie takes off one of her high heels and drops it down on the thug, hitting him on the head.

LEONARD Ow!

He looks up, frowning, allowing Chance to jump out and tackle him. Leonard goes flying back and crashes into a bin filled with the gold coins, knocking it over and spilling them everywhere. He doesn't get up. Chance and Jake pause for a moment, just to make sure there aren't any more of them.

ANN Get us down from here!

JAKE How?

She points at two sets of levers on the wall.

ANN The controls are over there. One raises and lowers the cage, the other closes the vat lid!

Jake goes over and inspects the two levers. At random, he pulls one, and the cage drops down towards the molten gold! Callie, Ann and Jonny all scream! Jake instantly reverses it, and the cage comes to a halt inches from hot, melty death, then begins raising back up. Jake grins sheepishly.

JAKE Heh, oops. Wrong lever. THIS one.

He pulls the over lever. The vat's lid is in two hinged halves, raised and lowered via chains attached to a pulley system. The chains go slack and the lid halves slowly lower, and come together over the vat with a metallic boom. The three in the cage sigh in relief. NOW Jake pulls the over lever, and the cage drops, banging into the closed lid. Reaching out, Callie opens the door and she, Ann and Jonny step out onto the vat cover. Jonny hops down, and helps Ann climb down; Chance smiles and goes over, offering his arms up to Callie.

CHANCE Can I give ya a hand, Miss Briggs?

CALLIE Sure.

She takes his hands and allows him to help her down.

CALLIE And like I said before. Please, call me Callie.

ANN We've got to stop Dark Kat!

JAKE Affirmative! Get their weapons!

Ann goes over to the unconscious Leonard, still sprawled half-buried in the coin pile, kneeling and grabbing a handful of the coins.

JAKE Now, we're gonna--

They hear a rumbling noise and turn to see the cage being lifted back up....because attached to the opposite end of the chain is TODFELD. He's wearing an upper-body harness that the chain is hooked too and is lowering himself down. Chance glares up at him, then turns to Callie.

CHANCE Jake, get them outta here and stop Dark Kat. I'll take Franken-puss.

JAKE Chance, come on, the guy's attached to a chain, he's not going anywhere.

CHANCE No, I owe this creep. Go on, get outta here.

Knowing better than to argue, Jake turns and leads Callie, Ann and Jonny up the basement steps to the door, while Chance sticks his gun into his waistband, then goes and walks up the short flight of steps to the platform that's adjacent to the vat.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALLYWAY "B"

ALBERT tromps boredly down the hallway just as JAKE, CALLIE, ANN and JONNY charge around the corner behind him. They skid to a halt, and he spins and notices them.

ALBERT Hold it!

JAKE You hold it!

They stare one another down for a minute. Finally Ann shoves past Jake and walks right up to the thug.

ANN We don't have time for this macho crap!

Albert blinks, looking confused, and then Ann kicks him hard between his legs and punches him so hard he spins around and falls flat on his face.

ANN He has a glass jaw. Come on!

She runs off. Jake and Jonny exchance glances and follow, neither noticing Callie's sudden absence.

INT. DARKHAVEN - GOLD ROOM

Todfeld and Chance begin circling one another, sizing each other up.

CHANCE You don't look so tough, you skinny green pipsqueak....

Todfeld growls at him.

CHANCE Yeah? Take THIS!

He lunges forwards and punches Todfeld in the face several times. A left hook, right hook, then a left again, and Todfeld reels from the punches, grunting, but doesn't fall down, then snaps his head back around to glare at Chance. He slashes at Chance with his claws, shredding his shirt.

CHANCE Ow!!!

He looks down at the shredded remains of his shirt, then back up at Todfeld. Todfeld violently backhands him, sending him flying through the air with a yell. He lands with a bang on the side of vat cover, dazed. He is seized from behind by Todfeld, who flips him over his head and slams him down onto the cover HARD! He then hauls Chance to his feet and decks him. Chance is knocked onto his back.

Todfeld stands over him, reeling his fist back. Chance rolls out of the way as Todfeld throws the punch, denting the metal with his fist! He winces a bit, and Chance gets to his feet and punches him in the side. Todfeld grunts, turns and tries to backhand Chance again, but Chance ducks, and kicks Todfeld between his legs. This does absolutely nothing. Chance's jaw drops.

CHANCE No WAY!!! What does it take to HURT you?!

Todfeld grabs one of the chains attached to the vat cover and rips it off, then pulls down on it to give himself some slack, and begins slinging it around, swinging it at Chance, striking him several times. Suddenly, the cage drops down towards them! They both look up. Chance dives out of the way and it lands on Todfeld, crushing him against the vat cover. Chance, looking over, sees Callie over by the controls.

CHANCE Miss B--Callie!!!

She comes over and runs up the steps to the top of the vat.

CALLIE I figured you could use a little help.

CHANCE Aw, I was close to beatin' him...

Suddenly the cage lifts up and is shoved aside and Todfeld stands, snarling, unhurt. Pushing Callie behind himself, Chance shields her from the crazed green kat as he approaches. He notices the chain Todfeld pulled loose hanging there.

CHANCE When I tell you to, hit the switch to raise the cover.

She looks a bit skeptical, but nods, hopping off and running to the controls. Chance launches himself at Todfeld....but goes PAST him, ducking under his swinging arms. He grabs the chain and quickly attaches it to the back of the harness Todfeld is still wearing.

CHANCE Now!!!

Callie hits the lever! Todfeld turns to punch Chance, misses, and Chance leaps off the top of the vat as one half is lifted up; the other half stays down because the chain used to raise it is now attached to Todfeld's harness, and HE is lifted into the air instead, growling.

Chance goes over to Callie.

CALLIE Now let's go join the others.

CHANCE Right.

He looks up at the dangling Todfeld.

CHANCE Hang out for a while, pal.

They run up the stairs, Todfeld snarling, kicking and swinging his arms uselessly as he swings around in the air.

INT. DARKHAVEN - BALLROOM

There is much cheering and applause as MAYOR MANX and DEPUTY MAYOR BALCUS enter. In all there are about a hundred GUESTS, seven of whom are sitting at the long table underneath the banner bearing the "D" insignia. The three empty seats are for Manx, Balcus and Ashland, who go and take them as the applause dies down. Balcus frowns at Ashland's absence.

The wingeglass pyramid is no more, each guest has a wineglass except for the three newcomers. Manx stands and addresses the small crowd.

MANX Ladies and gentlemen. As Mayor of Megakat City, it would normally be my honor and duty to speak to all, but this evening is very special. For tonight we are celebrating our city's two-hundredth anniversary at the ancestral home of none other than our very own Deputy Mayor Claude Balcus, to whom I now turn over the floor to!

Balcus stands and shakes hands with Manx as the guests applaud again. Manx then sits. Balcus turns towards the guests and raises one hand for silence.

BALCUS Ladies and gentleman! Over four-hundred years ago, the once great and powerful Megalith City was destroyed in a cataclysm. Dropped by an earthquake into the very same canyon which this house now borders. It was then that our ancestors sought to rebuild. The land they chose to develop with their primitive construction methods was harsh, swampy and wild....

INT. DARKHAVEN - MAIN HALL

The small band of heroes (CHANCE, JAKE, CALLIE, ANN and JONNY) creep into the main hall, which is desserted save for two THUG WAITERS at the doors of the ballroom on guard duty. However their attention is focused on the offscreen Balcus delivering his speech.

BALCUS' VOICE (offscreen)  
It is written that many among them gave up, but that the King and Queen perservered. And now, four-hundred years later, the efforts of our ancestors have paid off, and their dream has been realized, alas long after they have passed on and turned to dust....

INT. DARKHAVEN - BALLROOM

As BALCUS' speech continues, we watch a pair of THUG WAITERS (two of roughly eight such thugs in the ballroom at the moment) go behind the dinner table. One is carrying a serving tray with two wineglasses; the other carries a tray with but one.

BALCUS So! Tonight, I ask you, the elite, the leaders of Megakat City, who have helped to shape it over the past several years....raise your glasses with me, now.

He turns and takes the two glasses from the first waiter's tray, sets one down where Ashland would've been sitting. The other waiter's single wineglass goes to MANX, who accepts. The GUESTS already standing their glasses. Those seated at the table stand and raise theirs.

BALCUS A toast!

INT. DARKHAVEN - MAIN HALL

The two THUG WAITERS watching and grinning are jumped from behind by CHANCE and JONNY, who cover their mouths, pushing them to the floor and knocking them unconscious.

INT. DARKHAVEN - BALLROOM

Another THUG WAITER has noticed the commotion at the door, and goes to investigate.

BALCUS A toast, to another four-hundred years of propserity! To the Megakat City of the future!

The thug who went to check the door is greeted by JAKE's fist and knocked flat on his back. Jake barges in along with CHANCE, CALLIE, ANN and JONNY; this commition draws the attention of all of the GUESTS and no one drinks their wine. BALCUS can barely believe his eyes. MANX just looks confused.

JAKE Everybody stop! No one drink your wine!

One guest looks at his glass, then back up at Jake.

GUEST Why not....?

CHANCE It's been poisoned!

There are murmurs among the guests. One or two discretely, albeit hurriedly, sets theirs on the nearest available flat surface. Balcus attempts to control the situation.

BALCUS Poisoned? Why, that's insane!

Manx looks indignant as both he and Balcus set their glasses down and come over.

MANX What is the meaning of this? I will not have MY city's anniversary celebration interrupted!

CALLIE It's a little late for that, Mayor. Anyway, what they said is true.

She talks louder, so the guests can hear her.

CALLIE It's all true! Balcus was going to poison all of you so he could take control of Megakat City! And Commander Ashland was helping him!

ANN All the proof is right here in this very house! Balcus has been behind all of the gold robberies, and he's been melting the gold down to make his own coins to use as currency for "his" new Megakat City!

She takes the handful of gold coins she got from the foundry and tosses them onto the floor in front of everyone. A few people jump back in reflex. Manx, blinking, bends down and picks one up, examining it. Balcus sweats a little, but only a little. After a moment, Manx whirls to him, glowering.

MANX You're fired!

The guests murmur. Suddenly, Balcus reaches inside his tuxedo and pulls a laser pistol, firing it into the ceiling. The crowd screams and backs away as he suddenly grabs Manx in a vicious headlock. Chance tries to run to the Mayor's assistance, but is pistol-whipped and sent sprawling on the floor for his troubles. Manx struggles.

MANX Uh, I take it back! You're NOT fired!

BALCUS Shut up!

He starts towards the door, pointing his gun at Jake and the others.

BALCUS Out of my way, or I kill Manx!

He holds the gun to Manx's head. They move. Motioning with his head, Balcus signals to all of the THUG WAITERS who pull their puns and shove through the crowd, following their boss to the door.

BALCUS And if anyone tries to follow me, I'll kill him!

Chance sits up on the floor.

CHANCE You do that and it it'll be the last thing you ever do!

BALCUS That would be a very impressive trick, I'd love to see it. But it'll have to wait for another time!

INT. DARKHAVEN - MAIN HALL

BALCUS backs out into the main hall with the captive MANX, his THUGS aiming their guns at the ballroom doors to prevent anyone from following. Balcus drags Manx to the open front door.

EXT. DARKHAVEN - EVENING

The DOORMAN THUG takes a step back as BALCUS emerges with MANX. Turning, Balcus yells to his CHAUFFEUR.

BALCUS Get the car!

The chauffeur, visible nearby still waxing the LIMOUSINE over in the motorpool, blinks and looks over.

CHAUFFEUR Uh, yes sir!

He goes and opens the back doors of the limo. Just as Balcus starts that way as well, they hear sirens in the distance and freeze.

BALCUS The Enforcers!

Balcus turns and hauls Manx back inside.

EXT. COUNTRYISDE - EVENING

A line of about twelve ENFORCER SEDANS comes rocketing down the road. FERAL is in the lead one, the SERGEANT riding shotgun.

INT. DARKHAVEN - MAIN HALL

BALCUS drags MANX across the hall, stopping and turning to his THUGS.

BALCUS You three come with me! The rest of you hold them off!

He and Manx then run off down the hall, three of the thugs following. In the ballroom, JAKE opens fire, hitting and killing one thug. The remaining thugs run and take up defensive positions around the hall as a firefight begins between them and the heroes in the ballroom. The thugs manage to successfully keep them pinned down however.

CHANCE Dangit, these guys aren't gonna give up easy!

JAKE By the time we get 'em all Dark Kat will be long gone with the Mayor!

EXT. DARKHAVEN - EVENING

The DOORMAN is walking towards the BLACK LIMO as the CHAUFFEUR still stands waiting by the open back doors. As the sirens get nearer and nearer, they look at one another.

DOORMAN You gonna stay around here?!

CHAUFFEUR No way!

They bolt for the SILVER SUV. They get in (the chauffeur behind the wheel of course) and speed off down the driveway. The FIRST ENFORCER SEDAN plows through the recently repair gate, knocking it off its hinges yet again. The column of Enforcer sedans comes barrelling up the gravel driveway, and FERAL in the lead car finds himself on a collision course with the oncoming SUV. He swerves left, driving onto the lawn; the car behind him hits its brakes, causing a chain-reaction of rear-end collisions as the column is stopped in its tracks.

The chauffeur, panicking, swerves to his left (and the Enforcers' right) to avoid crashing....and winds up driving right into the fountain, smashing the sculpture in the middle. ENFORCER COMMANDOES pour out of the stopped cars. A handful surround the SUV and the chauffeur and doorman inside both instantly hold their hands up in surrender.

Feral gets out of his car along with the SERGEANT. For the first time we see Feral with his trademark bullhorn.

FERAL You're under arrest!

He turns to the Sergeant.

FERAL Let's secure the house!

SERGEANT Yes sir! You men come with us!

Along with the majority of the commandoes they charge up to the mansion! 


	10. Chapter 10

INT. DARKHAVEN - MAIN HALL

The firefight comes to an abrupt halt as FERAL, the SERGEANT and a MOB OF COMMANDOES bursts through the front door. The THUGS are all taken completely by surprise and instantly surrender. Enforcers immediately begin grabbing and cuffing them, as Feral goes over towards the ballroom door and is shocked when CHANCE and JAKE emerge!

FERAL You two! How did you--?! Oh, nevermind. Where's Commander Ashland? I have orders to arrest him!

JAKE He's locked up safe, but Dark Kat--er, I mean Balcus took Mayor Manx and escaped!

Feral looks around.

FERAL Which way did they go?

JAKE This way, I think!

He points down an adjacent hall, and runs off down it, Chance following.

FERAL Sergeant, come on!

Feral and the Sergeant rush after them.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - HALLWAY "B"

CHANCE, JAKE, FERAL and the SERGEANT race along the hallway only to find themselves fired upon by one of the three THUG WAITERS Balcus took with him, standing in the open door leading into the pit room, apparently left behind as a rear guard. He and the four Enforcers exchange laser-fire until finally Feral just hauls off and shoots him dead. The thug cries out and falls through the door--

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY

--and tumbles down the stairs. CHANCE, JAKE, FERAL and the SERGEANT charge heroically down the stairs, only to discover the room completely empty! The pit's lid is still down.

CHANCE Where did they go?

FERAL It's a decoy!

He's already starting back up the stairs along with the Sergeant when Jake stops them.

JAKE Wait a second! Does anyone else feel a draft?

They pause, listening. There is the very faintest sound of wind blowing. Going over to the wall, Chance notices that the air appears to be coming out from under it. He pushes on it. No good.

JAKE There's gotta be a trigger somewhere!

Everyone looks around hurriedly. They focus their attention on the bookcase.

CHANCE It's always a book in all those old detective stories....

JAKE Yeah, but which one?

Feral comes over and pulls the bookcase away from the wall and pushes it over, spilling books everywhere. Only one book remains, "attached" to the wall, clearly false.

FERAL That one.

He pulls on the false book and the trick wall slides away revealing a tunnel.

CHANCE I coulda thought of that...

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ESCAPE TUNNEL

A long rock tunnel that gradually slops downwards. CHANCE, JAKE, FERAL and the SERGEANT race along it until they come to the end; a pair of metal doors that open out onto the helipad seen before.

CHANCE (quietly)  
There's that helicopter again. And lucky us, he hasn't left yet.

JAKE (quietly)  
Yeah, but he will soon, so c'mon!

FERAL (quietly)  
Wait!

They stop.

FERAL (quietly)  
We have to take every precaution to ensure that Manx isn't harmed!

EXT. GORGE - SECRET HELIPAD

By now it is almost night time outside. The helicopter has already started up, rotor blades whirring. This helicopter has had the front and back doors on the sides taken off. BALCUS stands nearby, still holding onto MANX and directing the remaining two THUGS, who are loading boxes we know to contain gold coins onto the chopper.

BALCUS You! More boxes! Hurry!

All of a sudden CHANCE, JAKE, FERAL and the SERGEANT come charging out onto the helipad, taking up defensive positions behind some (empty) fuel drums and cargo crates. They begin exchanging fire with the thugs, while Balcus hauls the struggling Mayor over to the chopper. Shoving him into the backseat, Balcus gets into the pilot's seat himself, grabbing the steering mechanism.

The two thugs, exposed as they are, don't last very long against their dug-in opponents. Jake kills the first one, and then the Sergeant shoots the second. They now rush out onto the helipad as the chopper begins to lift off, Balcus smirking down at them.

Chance goes to fire up at the chopper but is stopped by Jake.

JAKE The Mayor!

In the chopper, Manx looks positively terrified; Ashland just looks relieved to be leaving. Balcus is laughing evilly when suddenly there is a jolt and the helicopter stops climbing! Balcus blinks, looking confused, pulling on the stick and trying to climb higher without success. The chopper is just hovering there about ten feet off the helipad.

BALCUS What's happening?!

MANX Well, I don't know much about these sorts of things, but it seems to me there's too much weight.

Balcus turns and looks back at him. He grabs Manx and shoves him out of the chopper! Manx gives a terrified yelp as he falls, his toupee coming off, flying up and being diced by the rotors. He lands with a thud on the landing pad. Feral and the Sergeant run to his side and he sits up, dazed but okay.

CHANCE Well, now that the Mayor's been taken out of the equation....

Feral looks over, glaring.

FERAL Blast him out of the sky!

Chance and Jake fire up at the chopper's underside. Balcus returns fire with his pistol, but becomes more concerned about the fact his helicopter still isn't climbing any higher. In fact it's actually starting to come back down! Chance tosses down his gun, eyeing the runners. Jake looks at his partner.

JAKE Chance, what are you doing....?

Without a reply, Chance leaps into the air for all he's worth and grabs the chopper's runner on the pilot's side!

JAKE Chance!

Balcus looks down and notices Chance there, and aims his laser pistol down at him to shoot him.

CHANCE Maybe I didn't think this through...

He hurriedly tries to think of something to do, then sees the helicopter's other runner, the one not on the pilot's side of the aircraft, and swings over and grabs it, but just barely. And hanging onto THIS runner, he no longer has the helipad underneath him to catch him should he fall....just thousands of feet of bottomless gorge! Grunting and straining, he climbs up into the chopper (the doors were taken off of this side, too), and Balcus, still looking out on his side trying to figure out where Chance went, is taken completely by surprise as Chance jumps on him from behind!

BALCUS Ahhh!

CHANCE Give it up, Dark Crud!

Balcus drops his gun and takes his hand off the steering mechanism so as to try and pry Chance loose, with the end result that the chopper begins to slowly spin out of control. It swings around in a circle, the tail rotor clipping the edge of the narrow cliff the helipad is on, the passenger side now facing towards the cliff. Those still on the helipad watch with growing worry.

In the chopper, Balcus begins banging Chance up against the roof of the cockpit, trying to dislodge him, and manages to throw him off. Chance lands in the empty co-pilot's seat beside him. He winds up half in and half out of the fuselage, grabbing onto the doorframe and trying to pull himself back in. Balcus, grinning evilly, grabs the steering stick again and, dipping the chopper to his right, turns in his seat and lifts his leg, and swiftly kicks Chance under the chin, and with a cry Chance loses his grip and slides all the way out of the cockpit and falls!

JAKE Chance!

Chance just barely manages to grab the edge of the cliff. Jake runs over and begins helping him up. Up in the chopper, the dip that Balcus did coupled with the extra weight of the gold makes him start to lose control of the aircraft. It dips in the opposite direction (Balcus' left) and Balcus screams as he suddenly is thrown right out of the helicopter!

He falls past Chance and Jake who watch him as he plummets down into the gorge and disappears from sight in the blackness, his final scream echoing off the cliff walls. Jake manages to pull Chance all the way back up, his arm around him.

CHANCE Thanks buddy, I--

They're starting back towards the others - Feral, Manx and the Sergeant - when suddenly they turn and see that the pilotless helicopter is swinging around in a wide circle, narrowly missing the wall on the opposite side of the gorge....and coming back towards them! The other four are already running back into the tunnel.

FERAL Clawson! Furlong!

JAKE I think it might be time for us to get outta here!

CHANCE You don't need to tell ME twice!

They turn and run as the helicopter makes a crashlanding on the helipad right behind them. Its front end crumples and then the unthinkable happens. As the spinning blades hit the helipad they shatter spraying shrapnel everywhere, and then the entire rotor section pops off and, the jagged, broken blades still spinning, flies after the running Chance and Jake like a gigantic buzzsaw!

They just barely make it inside the mouth of the tunnel as the detached rotor section hits the small opening and explodes!

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ESCAPE TUNNEL

CHANCE and JAKE are sent flying forwards from the explosion, which caves in the tunnel entrance. FERAL comes over as they sit up, coughing and sputtering, alive but very dusty and a little singed.

FERAL You reckless hotshots!

He just smirks and shakes his head, turning and walking back up the tunnel. Chance looks back at the rubble blocking the tunnel entrance.

CHANCE We almost got turned into sushi back there!

They stand, dusting themselves off.

JAKE Quit your complaining. We saved the Mayor, not to mention the whole city, and we got the bad guy. Or rather, YOU got the bad guy. That was good goin' there, Chance. And you finally got to be up in the air!

Chance rolls his eyes.

CHANCE Oh, brother! I'd prefer next time it be in something I was actually flying, and without a passenger who's trying to kick me out to an early grave.

INT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY

JABLONSKY and LYMAN stand with ALBERT in front of the covered pit.

ASHLAND (O.S)  
I'm in here!

LYMAN Who's in there?

ASHLAND (O.S)  
Open up the top!

ALBERT Commander Ashland, is that you...?

ASHLAND (O.S)  
No, it's Mayor Manx! Of course it's me, you fool! Open the lid!

Albert looks nervously at the two Enforcers, but then turns and walks over and hits the switch, raising the cover, revealing COMMANDER ASHLAND, looking disheveled. The Commander glares up at the two confused officers.

ASHLAND Don't just stand there, you fools! Give me a hand!

EXT. DARKHAVEN MANOR - NIGHT

Night has finally fallen and everything is illuminated by the flashing lights of the ENFORCER SEDANS. The SILVER SUV is still sitting in the fountain. The arrested THUGS are being taken away in handcuffs. Over by the fountain, all of the principal characters are gathered as a pair of ENFORCER COMMANDOES each hold one of ASHLAND's arms. He and FERAL are staring at one another.

FERAL You don't deserve these.

He grabs the epaulletes and rips them off of Ashland's dinner jacket. Ashland scowls, glaring at him.

FERAL Get him out of here.

The commandoes nod and Ashland is led away along with the rest of the captured villains. MANX, his bald head exposed, taps his foot impatiently. An ENFORCER OFFICER comes walking up with what appears to be a large jewelry box and holds it out to Manx; Manx opens it revealing another toupee! Taking it out he puts it on.

MANX Thank you.

CHANCE and JAKE standing nearby roll their eyes.

CHANCE You'd think he wouldn't even bother. Or at least get one that matches what little hair he's got left.

CALLIE BRIGGS comes walking up to them.

CALLIE Officer Furlong?

Chance smiles

CHANCE Uh, please, call me Chance.

She smiles and nods, taking his hand.

CALLIE I wanted to thank you again for saving my life. Twice. And for saving the entire city, as well. If it wasn't for you two--

JAKE Aw, we're just doin' our sworn duty. Nothin' to it.

Manx claps his hands together.

MANX Well, now that that's all settled--

ANOTHER ENFORCER SEDAN comes up the gravel driveway and stops. None other than STEELE gets out, looking extradordinarily smug. Chance frowns.

CHANCE (quietly)  
Well, look who finally decided to show up.

JAKE (quietly)  
Yeah. After WE did all the work.

Smoothing his blonde hair Steele walks over to Feral. Noticing the torn-off epaulletes in Feral's hand, he grins and holds out his hand.

STEELE I'll take those, Lieutenant.

Feral frowns sourly, and hesitates. Steele motions with his fingers.

STEELE Come on! Give them to me! I'm next in line!

Feral looks over at Mayor Manx.

MANX This isn't a monarchy, Steele, it's law enforcement. I'm the Mayor and I get to decide who gets to be the next commander.

He walks up to Steele and prods him in the chest with a finger.

MANX And I didn't see YOU doing anything to save me from that insane lunatic Balcus! It was these three!

He points at Chance, Jake and Feral, who look at each other.

STEELE But Mayor--

MANX Don't you "But Mayor" ME, mister! Why you'll be lucky if I don't remove you from your position entirely! Lieutenant Feral!

He turns to Feral, who snaps to attention.

MANX Those, uh, what do you call 'em....

FERAL Epaullettes, sir.

MANX Whatever. You keep them. You've earned them. You're the new Commander of the Enforcers.

Chance and Jake blink. Feral swells with pride, unable to contain himself, a smirk spreading across his features.

FERAL Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I promise I won't let you down.

MANX I know you won't. Now then, now that we have a new Enforcer commander, all we need is a new deputy mayor. Um, District Attorney Briggs?

He goes over to Callie and they begin walking towards his LIMO.

MANX Have you ever considered a career outside of the judicial system? I could use someone as bright as you as my new deputy mayor....

She waves to Chance. He smiles and waves back.

FERAL Furlong?

Chance turns back to Feral.

CHANCE Yes, Lieu--uh, I mean Commander?

FERAL I'm told that you've been trying to get into the air squadron, but that you've been getting consistently denied by our friend Ashland. Is this true?

Chance blinks, looking unsure of how he should reply, daring to hope....

CHANCE Well, yes sir.

Feral smiles.

FERAL Well, then, since you helped saved the Mayor and all of Megakat City I think that deserves a reward. As my first official act as Commander, I think I'll see to it that you get made a pilot.

Chance looks like he's about to have a heart attack from the shock!

CHANCE Really? I-I'll get to be a pilot???

FERAL If you pass the exam, yes. And if you apply yourself, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. But fair warning, Furlong. Learn to control that temper of yours. Or else I'll make sure you never fly at all.

Chance scowls a bit, but nods. Feral turns to walk to where the COMMANDER-ISSUE ENFORCER SEDAN is parked, pauses, turns back to them, eyeing Jake.

FERAL Oh, and, uh, bring a friend.

Smirking, he turns and resumes walking.

JAKE Did he mean me?

CHANCE Well, who else?

Jake looks a trifle nervous.

JAKE I dunno, Chance. Me a pilot? I've never even thought about it....

CHANCE Well, if I do become a pilot, then I'm gonna need a gunner, and I want a guy I can rely on handlin' the weapons of my jet. Besides, aren't you always talkin' about designin' new weapons?

Jake scratches the back of his head.

JAKE Well, I....

CHANCE Come on, Jake, buddy. I need you. We entered the Enforcers together, and I've never had another partner and I don't wanna have to start over with some other guy.

Jake finally smiles.

JAKE All right.

They grin and high-five one another. FREEZE-FRAME on their high-five, fade to black, roll credits, cue SWAT KATS THEME MUSIC.

THE END 


End file.
